Snakes and Souls
by Maddyson Ruby
Summary: There was something odd about Daphne and when she comes into her creature inheritence you can be sure trouble will follow, especially when her mate is Harry Potter... Besides, Slytherins aren't all evil, right? Fifth year AU. Daphne/Harry.
1. Chapter 1: The Summer Before

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**AN: I'm going to pretend that Harry turned sixteen the summer before his fifth year, so he is one of the oldest not the youngest. This was a challenge issued to me by GoldenSteel called My Girlfriend is What!**

**Bear with me, this is slower to start but the pace will quicken. I loved writing this and am so desperate to write a Blaise centred story now.**

**Chapter 1**

Every girl has her secrets; I suppose that I'm no different. I was loved and I was popular, I had everything I could ever dream I could want laid out for me on a silver platter, ripe for the taking. My fifth year of Hogwarts was going to be no different.

I was taken to Diagon Alley that summer by one of our housekeepers, Beatrice. She had such lovely blonde curls I always found myself jealous in her presence especially when I compared them to my own dark chocolate coloured waves. I seemed plain in comparison to her, or that was my perception.

People bustled about the alley, all focussed on their errands for the day. I had nothing on my mind apart from the shoes I wanted to buy for this year at Hogwarts and what coloured wand holder caught my fancy. My thoughts were trivial as I compared the colours of two different winter cloaks, unsure of which colour suited me better – the dark forest green or the silvery grey? I knew I was vain, there was no point denying it.

My younger sister, Astoria, hurried along beside me with her beautiful teak coloured hair elegantly pinned back, looking like my mother in miniature. She was two years my junior but we were so close to each other, unlike other pure bloods I knew and their siblings.

Our books were bought quickly and soon we were off to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch and a butterbeer – a treat for sure as my sister and I were rarely allowed them. The pub was humming with life as the patrons enjoyed themselves, firewhiskey flowing. I found myself greedily drinking my warm butterbeer and relishing in the food I was presented with, despite the fact that the chefs at home could cook far better and far more quickly should I so desire it.

"Are you looking forward to your fifth year, Daphne?" Beatrice asked; her pretty blue eyes wide and innocent. Sometimes, her naivety couldn't help but fray at my nerves.

"Of course, Beatrice. I can't wait to see my friends once more. I've missed them so much." I gushed to my family, smiling.

Beatrice got a cunning look in her eye that reminded me of the Slytherin she supposedly was during her Hogwarts days, "I bet you're looking forward to seeing a certain Slytherin this year, hey?"

I chuckled before smirking at our housekeeper, "Of course I'm looking forward to seeing a Mister Draco Malfoy but not as much as Astoria is. Isn't that right, Tory?"

When Astoria went scarlet in her embarrassment I eased off on the teasing and ordered another butterbeer which I drank quickly, enjoying the sweetness more than normal.

That in and of itself was odd, I could usually only finish half of a butterbeer before declaring it too sweet. Out of me and my sister, she was the one with a taste for all things sweet whilst I could only stand them up to a degree.

Beatrice apparated Astoria and I back to the Greengrass Estate which spanned around a thousand acres with flowing lawns and well-maintained gardens full of blossoming flowers. My mother's love for gardening was second only to my father which was probably why Herbology was one of my best subjects. Our pool was charmed to stay at a constant warm temperature with a full Quidditch pitch being a favourite of my father's that was built in case the Greengrass family was blessed with a male heir.

Our mansion was pretty classic as far as pure-blood mansions go; it was all imported grey stonework with large glass windows and a double door entrance. The inside was mostly mahogany and marble with columns lining the entrance hall and the grand dining room. It was grand but the Greengrass family accepted nothing less than perfection in life. I loved my life; there wasn't a single thing I'd want to even consider changing about it.

My room was spacious with a double bed with a gauzy canopy above it in silver. The walls were wooden panelling and silver walls. A chaise sat near the window in green silk where light hit it, illuminating the room. Green accents were strewn about my bedroom, tying in the silver and green colour scheme I loved and had grown up with. The hallways of the manor had portraits of my ancestors I delighted in conversing with; learning history from them was far more enjoyable than a lesson with Professor Binns.

I was called for dinner by our house elf, Rad who Astoria had named when she was but a child. "Master and Mistress Greengrass are wanting young Miss to be joining them in the blue dining room."

"Thank you for telling me, Rad." I replied politely as I had always been taught. House elves, though uneducated and coarse in mannerisms, were not to be abused. That was more Draco's forte.

I joined my family in one of several dining rooms for dinner which happened to be a favourite of my father's.

"How was your shopping today, dears?" my mother questioned in her voice that sounded so like bells. Her hair was pinned up into and elaborate up do and jewels hung from her ears, matching the dress she wore.

"Good, mother," Astoria piped up. "We bought everything on our lists as well as new shoes for Daphne and me."

"Grammar, Astoria," My father chided her, Mother nodding along. "It is correct to say, Daphne and I or Daphne and myself. Not Daphne and me, that is far too informal."

"As you say, Papa," my sister agreed sounding only slightly disheartened.

I locked eyes with her, smiling reassuringly. Her face brightened and she went back to conversing with our father. At the end of the meal, once my sister and I were excused to leave the table, my father spoke up, "We'll be visiting the Malfoy's next weekend, as a family."

I knew what he meant, it was to be a social occasion where the pureblood community got together and bragged about themselves and their lives. As riveting as this was, I loathed the event every year it came to pass. On the bright side, I would be purchasing a new dress to wear for the evening as going in something you already owned was social suicide and I would never live it down amongst Pansy Parkinson and her circle of trainee socialites. As much as I might abhor the evening I knew I would go, I wouldn't dare to do otherwise.

Pansy Parkinson was someone I tolerated but I'm almost certain but distaste for her was evident whenever I was forced into her presence. Pug faced is one way I've heard others describe her warped facial features and I can't quite stop myself from agreeing with their observations. She is from a wealthy pure blood family and has high hopes that she will be the future bride of none other than Draco Malfoy. I have my doubts. She lacks the countenance of a pure blood bride; she also lacks the looks and reputation. Though she firmly denies even a hint of interest in Draco, I know my sister, Astoria, would be well-matched to him as the next Lady Malfoy. Lady Astoria Malfoy had a nice ring to it. She had always like the blond Malfoy heir.

The next week passed by sporadically with moments of triviality the felt as though they last for years and days that flew by in a blink. Sooner than I would have liked it was the Saturday of the pure blood community gathering. Our dresses were ready having been bought the day previously.

I dressed in my brand new Ebony Taylor gown which was emerald green and mermaid in design with a flare around my knees and a tight bust line and corset. Paired with heels and a necklace I was ready to go and met up with the rest of the family, dressed to kill, in the foyer.

We apparated to the Malfoy family manor and, for just a moment, I was captivated by the magnificence that it was, rolling lawns complete with white peacocks and a large fountain in the front courtyard less than two metres away from where my family and I had landed.

"Daphne!" came the nasal and grating voice of Pansy Parkinson, "Yoo-hoo!"

I looked up to see Pansy descending down the marble staircase with her approximation of a smile on her pug-like face. She wore a silver dress that clung too tightly to be flattering or deemed appropriate for occasions such as this. The dress in question would have looked far prettier on someone of Astoria's physique.

"Pansy!" I called back, smiling brightly at my faux friend. We hurried to greet each other with air kisses to the cheeks and a ghost of a smile. I caught my father's nod of acceptance at my actions and noticed that Astoria was in a similar position with her friends.

I was led inside by Pansy where my social circle were gathered and received greetings from everyone, each of us subtly appraising the others as we had been taught to from birth. Millicent Bulstrode greeted me with a shy smile, her larger form noticeably slimmer than the previous school year. Good for her.

We whiled the evening away with chatter, smirks were exchanged and I was asked to dance by none other than Blaise Zabini – something I know won't go unnoticed by the adults. It was a shame that Blaise and I didn't see each other as more, we would have made a formidable couple but, alas, it was not to be. I was not attracted to him, despite his good looks and he was, shall I say, otherwise interested. I was lacking certain physical features required to attract Blaise.

The food at the gathering was lovely, a standard the Malfoy's firmly abided by in order to uphold their image of universal superiority. I couldn't help but notice that once again, I favoured food and drink of the sweeter variety, barely resisting getting seconds on the pumpkin tart I ate. The party ended on a high, a change from the norm pure blood gatherings usually adhered to, I was sure. A highlight of the evening had been my aunt arriving in a flamboyant silver dress that had every male in the room, married or otherwise, staring and salivating.

My sister and I were escorted home by our parents who couldn't resist sharing smirks and small, secret smiles between themselves like they could communicate without words. Their closeness was something I couldn't help but envy, after all, what girl didn't want to wed someone they loved or could love? I wanted the fairy tale romance often only read about in stories, I may be a Slytherin but, despite the student populace of Hogwarts' opinion, I did have emotions and I did sometimes envy the simplicity of their lives. How many first years were selective about their friends because of social hierarchy? I was. It's bad for reputations among pureblood society if you associate yourself poorly. Within my first week I had linked myself to several major families – the Malfoy's, Parkinson's, Zabini's and the Nott's. Whereas, Ronald Weasley, another pureblood, befriended Harry Potter on the train ride to the castle and allied himself to the muggleborn Granger. My parents would tolerate Harry Potter considering who he is and who his ancestors were but Granger with her poor heritage and know-it-all attitude was someone I couldn't stand to be in a room with for prolonged periods.

The Weasley's blasé attitude to classes and blood purity always left a bad taste in my mouth, not because I disapproved. On the contrary, I wanted that. I wanted to be free of the classes of purebloods and the traditions it entailed. The life of a pure blood without societal worries would be blissful and freeing. I wanted it, too bad I would never get it.

The rest of my school holidays were comparatively dull, my homework was completed, my textbooks for the next year ahead had already been read and the extracurricular activities my father and tutors had devised were done. I spent most of my time wandering the grounds of the estate or reading in the great library. I only broke this routine once to go out to Diagon Alley with Pansy, Millicent and some of the usual Slytherin posse. It proved to be a nice break from the monotony of my life but the hours spent in close confines with Pansy Parkinson messed with my ability to think clearly.

My Aunt, Selene, visited on the last day of the holidays, dressed to the nines in a stunning red summer dress with matching heels and accents. She invited me out to lunch, a rare treat for me. Selene was my Aunt on my mother's side and she barely looked a day over twenty five, not a single wrinkle or blemish marred her skin and her hair was a dark mahogany red that shone when in sunlight. She also had one of those bodies you couldn't help but envy. My Aunt Selene was all curves and legs. Lucky.

She took me to Florean Fortesque's, home of the most delicious ice cream in London and sat us down at a table outside, where we could look out on the street and observe shoppers.

"So, Daphne, how's my favourite niece doing?" she asked with a crimson smile, her lips a bright red, drawing the eyes off many a man in the alley that day.

"You really shouldn't say that, Aunt Selene," I teased with a grin, "but, to answer your question, I'm fine. I'm looking forward to school this year."

"Really?" she asked crossing her legs and raising an eyebrow in question. "I find that very hard to believe, Miss Greengrass."

"What? It's the truth," I defended, fighting a smile at my Aunt's antics.

"Hmm…" was all Selene said, a smirk stretching across her face.

"So, any new guys?" I asked as silence descended on the table, I'd always hated the quiet. I'd also always found it odd how my Aunt was the most beautiful woman I knew, often to the point of envy on my part but she had never married and I had only seen her in a relationship once in my fifteen, nearly sixteen, years as her niece. It was an oddity but I never asked much, the topic seemed to upset her for some reason. She was always mournful about it and seemed… lost? It was bizarre, to me at least, how my mother, her sister, got married to a high standing pure blood wizard to be pampered and cared for whilst my Aunt Selene was never married as far as I know and she lived in a flat off Diagon Alley and worked for a magical linguistics agency, specialising in translation and other linguistic issues.

"No, Daphne. I doubt there ever will be again, I'm hardly young now," Selene pointed out with a soft smile.

"Aunt Selene!" I cried shocked and horrified at how she viewed herself. "You're not old at all!"

My Aunt just chuckled and was about to say more when our ice creams arrived, courtesy of Florean Fortesque himself.

The older man ogled my Aunt with a lack of subtlety that both amused and shocked me. His blatant attempts at seeing down her shirt were just the tip of the iceberg. Another server came over just as we were leaving and smiled at my Aunt confidently, flicking his platinum blond hair away from his face with a practised gesture.

"So," he started staring at her with all the obsession of a stalker. "I was wondering whether you'd be interested in going out with me? Just so you know, the cougar thing does not bother me."

I couldn't help but snort into my hand at his audacity; sure as I was that she would turn down his advances.

"You got a Floo number?" she asked with a deadly smirk. He pulled a card from his pocket and gave it to her with a flourish. She smiled seductively, "Thanks."

"When will I hear from you, Miss…?" he asked in a voice he probably thought was suave. I thought it was vile and the sight of him turned my stomach.

"_It's Selene and never…" _she purred, switching to the little known 'Language of the Pure Bloods' as she turned down the overeager young wizard. The language was taught to high society pureblood children in the older times and was a lot less common now than it was twenty years ago. Now the language was all but gone except in a few select pureblood families who followed traditions and custom religiously. My family was one of them.

Selene grasped my arm and spun in a circle, apparating directly into her flat over the alley. She had always had a flair for the dramatic. She giggled when she caught sight of my still disgusted face and smiled innocently.

"Why did you take his Floo number?" I asked, not sure if I really wanted the answer.

"To add to my collection," she smirked and chuckled. "It will be added to my book."

The book she spoke of was one that I had heard spoken about but had never really understood, nor had I ever been graced with the privilege to see the fabled book.

"Can I see it?" I asked with the over enthusiastic tone of a child at the prospect of seeing that book, the one that was a thing of legend amongst the females of my line.

"Do you want to see it?" she asked with a laugh, walking to her bookcase before I could answer her. I watched eagerly as she strategically touched marks on the bookcase and whispered words in a language I could neither understand nor identify. The bookcase morphed in the centre revealing an old thick tome. It was a burnt crimson in colour with a gold clasp on the front with no keyhole I could see. Selene sat next to me on her chaise in the living room and placed the book on her folded legs with a nostalgic smile. She kissed the silver and green flower of the golden clasp and I watched as it unfurled and snapped open. The first page was a Wizarding photograph of Selene and she looked very little like the strong woman I sat next to. The next page showed another photo but this one looked a lot more like the Aunt I knew and loved. Her hair was the reddish brown locks that I saw next to me and her eyes were same wide blue that watched me as I looked over the page. She then flipped the page to show me why this book was so highly regarded. It began the documentation of every single person, be they male or female, Muggle or wizard who had given Selene their number with romantic intentions. This, under normal circumstances, wouldn't be impressive but the sheer number of pages stunned me speechless.

"I started this book after my sixteenth birthday and since then, every number I've received, has gone in here," she said with a fond smile, sticking in the newest addition to her book.

Kevin Lee

146 Panged Stone Way

Floo me… x

I couldn't help but respect my Aunt, she was a tough lady and knew how to get what she wanted and someday, I hoped to be half the woman she was.

Astoria and I were dropped off at Platform nine and three quarters exactly on time, not fashionably late as the Malfoy's would have been, and likely were. Dressed comfortably and casually, particularly for my sister and me, we said our goodbyes to our parents and boarded the train, finding our own compartments with practised ease, Astoria going off to join her friends in the third year whilst I headed for my own compartment in the acknowledged Slytherin portion of the train. It wasn't any different from the rest of the train in looks or facilities but more Slytherin students were found in the area than any other House.

I stepped into a compartment that already housed many of the prestigious pureblood children, joining in with the conversation easily as was expected of me as a child of pure blood, to be a social chameleon. It was a skill I excelled in.

The train rocked slightly as it left the station and I couldn't help but be excited for the year ahead of me. But something in my gut, writhed in anxiety for the threats in my future as well as the looming feeling that something big was going to happen and whether or not I liked it had yet to be seen or determined. I only hoped I survived.

**Epic chapter, one of my longest ever in fact, what do people think? This has been great fun to write and I find myself loving it! So many different things to try and do! It's going to be great! Review to help me keep writing, give suggestions, questions and comments to me as any and all feedback is appreciated no matter how negative. So, keep reading and review please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Back to Hogwarts

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**AN: This is the second chapter and it was great fun to write! Keep reviewing please! Also the Umbridge speech is from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I will be taking certain bits from the books at times but will be mentioning it in the note at the top.**

**This does start slowly, I apologise, but I want to show the other sides to Daphne and the Slytherins because as much as I love Harry Potter and JKR, the snakes I love always seem to be painted as the bad people in everything I read. The next chapter kick-starts the rest of the story really so… enjoy and review!**

**(I have corrected errors pointed out to me and those I noticed – 13****th**** January 2013)**

**Chapter 2**

We climbed into a carriage together, me and my friends. Pansy and Draco had taken a separate carriage to the school and it seemed they were in an on again part of their complex relationship but I wasn't going to hold my breath that it would last too long.

It was quiet in the carriage with only an occasional disturbance of the silence by Crabbe or Goyle who both seemed to be far more repulsive than I remembered. I wasn't sure what it was but they suddenly seemed to be in a whole other realm of revoltingness since the end of last year. I sat next to Blaise on the velvet seats of the carriage and we quietly spoke of our summers, his spent in his villa in Italy whilst mine was in the dreary English countryside that I saw all year round at Hogwarts only it was a fair bit colder at school. Conversation shifted from our summers to school subjects and the classes we were taking to the events of the previous year. I looked on Blaise as nothing more or less than a brilliant friend despite our parents intentions we had never seen each other in any way other than platonic regardless of the assumptions they may have drawn at the gathering weeks previous.

The sight of Hogwarts felt amazingly like home to me despite the fact that I loved my family and the manor we lived at. The stone of the walls and the glow of the torches filled me with hope for the new year ahead as well as a feeling of safety that you never realise you've been missing until it's there once more. I sighed in contentment and caught the other Slytherins in my carriage doing the same as we each to a moment to revel in the peace we felt. I could see the lights of the first years on the lake as they travelled by boat to the shores of Hogwarts, their little faces full of both shock and fear but I could see excitement on some of the faces and smiled to myself, thinking back on my own boat ride to the school.

The Entrance Hall was alight with the reassuring glow of the torches that hung from the walls and the chatter of excited students, both new and old, was a refreshing thing for me having spent my summer holidays almost completely on my own, save for my sister.

We all filed into the hall as always, heading for the head of the Slytherin table, the green of the banners proudly displayed above us. I scanned the head table, looking to see any new additions to the staff that could be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. That was when I spotted it. Sitting next to Albus Dumbledore was a pink mass of… something. What it was, I couldn't tell you until it turned away from Dumbledore to face the crowds and I came to the realisation that it was, in fact, a woman. She had large bulbous eyes and thin, calculating lips. She looked like a transfiguration accident, in my opinion.

Chatter reigned in the hall until the first years were escorted in by Professor McGonagall and the sorting hat began to sing its song. We all went quiet as the hat sung about Hogwarts history and the qualities each founder had wanted in their house. It then went on to warn us all about outside forces that threatened both us, the students, and the school we loved, our Hogwarts. When it finished and the claps died down, the sorting began with the first boy being sorted into Gryffindor.

We got a good few newbies this year but there were one or two first years I did not like the look of. They looked shifty and twitchy like they were on alert constantly and I felt more certain that if you turned your back on them you'd find yourself dead quicker than you could yell 'Merlin!'.

We were encouraged to eat and the spread put on by the house elves this year was grand and I relished tucking in to the treats as Dumbledore ordered.

"So, who's the pink… thing?" Blaise asked me with a nudge from where he sat next to my right, ignoring Draco's flair for the dramatics down the bench.

"I have no idea," I replied, observing the… woman with distaste hoping not to be put off my dinner.

"Mother wants you to visit again this Christmas," Blaise said, changing the topic of conversation with relief. "She claims she hasn't seen you in so, so long and how you could be betrothed and she wouldn't even know."

I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me; Blaise's mother had always been a tad melodramatic, I was somewhat glad that hadn't changed. "She saw me at the gathering," I whispered back.

Blaise scoffed, "That didn't count you barely spoke to her."

"I did. I said 'Lovely to see you again, Lady Zabini'," I remarked to my friend bumping shoulders with a laugh.

"Oh, and that counts, does it? Your Aunt Selene would skin me alive if I so much as tried that," he teased back with a chuckle.

We stopped our chatting when Dumbledore rose to speak and the food disappeared, he began with his usual warnings about the Forbidden Forest, the banned items before moving on to staffing changes with Professor Grubbly-Plank for Care of Magical Creatures and Professor Umbridge for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

A sharp and false "Hem, hem" sounded from the staffing table and we all looked on in shock as the bulbous pink transfiguration accident stood from her seat and waddled to stand beside Professor Dumbledore, "Thank you, Headmaster," she leered, "for those kind words of welcome."

The shock on everyone's face was felt in the air, this woman did not belong at Hogwarts and myself and the other Slytherins were looking forward to watching the woman get put in her place.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she cried after falsely clearing her throat once more. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

We all felt startled and I caught myself looking at all the faces I could see from my seat and none of them looked remotely happy, a lot of them looked offended and horrified, if I was honest. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

I barely supressed a smirk at her cheery, childish attitude, she was pathetic and I was very much looking forward to undermining her authority every way I could. She was going to pay, of this I was certain.

She cleared her throat with another faux cough and it grated on my nerves before she began speaking like the snake I had suspected her of being all along, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed with careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

She took a moment to bow to those on the head table whilst I took the pause to absorb all that she had dared to say, "Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress' sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practises that ought to be prohibited."

She sat once more and Dumbledore led the hall in applause whilst we students clapped half-heartedly. We didn't like Umbridge, not a single one of us did, quite 'rightly so' too.

"So, what did you think of her?" Blaise asked with a frown marring his Italian looks.

"I can't wait to see how the DADA curse gets rid of her," I whispered back smirking; her demise was something I looked forward to. I wasn't normally sadistic but this woman brought out the worst in me.

"Hmm… I suppose there has been a bit of a track record hasn't there? The first one had You-Know-Who on the back of his head, the second lost his sanity-"

"Not sure he ever had it," I added.

Blaise carried on undaunted, "The third was a werewolf and the fourth never even made it to teaching and was locked in an enchanted trunk for the year. So, how do you think this one will go, then?"

Before I could reply we were excused from the hall and we made our way down to the old dungeons that were our home for the school year. To anyone else they would be cold and uninviting, dank and dreary but we found them warm in their own way, protective and nurturing, making some of us feel the safest we had ever before in our lives. That was the magic of Hogwarts though, it guarded its students from whatever might befall its walls whether that was a magical army or an abusive father did not matter.

I headed straight to bed with a call of "Goodnight," to the other snakes. A chorus of "Night, Daphne," came from around our common room and I smiled back at my fellow Slytherins and nodded in parting. My dorm room was spacious, as all the Slytherin rooms were. Snakes didn't like to share their space too much. My dorm room housed only Pansy, Millicent and myself within it, each of us having a four poster bed with green silk curtains hanging down. The room was warm and cosy so I burrowed down in the luxurious green blankets and I found myself asleep quicker than quick, a small smile spread upon my face.

The next morning I awoke with the sunrise, washing and dressing quickly I sat in front of my armoire and styled my hair into its usual sleek waves and applied a coating of liner around my eyes, the smudge-proof variety. My uniforms bore the crest of Slytherin and the green trim of my house making me grin to myself. I strapped on my low heels and made my way down to the common room, greeting others as I went. I sat in a velvet silver armchair, awaiting the company of one of my friends. I was unsurprised to see Pansy Parkinson next, her pug-like face now caked with make up as if it were to enhance her beauty. It was far too obvious to have the subtle, alluring affect she was going for and I wanted to tell her that to her face but my inner Slytherin would not condone such a thing. That was the action of a Gryffindor, thoughtless and inept.

Pansy and I walked side by side up to the Great Hall; we were some of the first students there considering the early time. Walking together to the hall was both for companionship as it was for protection. Being a Slytherin had gotten exponentially more risky since my first year when Harry Potter joined the school. Ever since then, becoming a Slytherin has immediately singled you out as a dark wizard and either a future Death Eater or a future Mrs Death Eater. Really it just meant we were more ambitious and cunning than the average wizard or witch, but that was my own perception of it. Really, we shouldn't be judging people by their houses, it wasn't only childish but immature. People weren't going to be sorted into houses for the rest of their lives, we'd have to learn to gage another person's characteristics and judge for ourselves whether we wanted such a person as a friend or acquaintance. I didn't judge others on their houses but it seemed like they rarely didn't follow the stereotypes associated with their house.

When a Gryffindor sees a Slytherin, they are quick to insult or glare at us as though the sight of us turned their stomachs. When a Ravenclaw saw us, they giggled and looked down at us because they were a rather uptight group. When a Hufflepuff saw us, they stammered out apologies and ran off. In my five years, that was always the way it happened.

"So, did you sleep well?" I asked, beginning the conversation slowly as my brain finished waking up.

"Yeah," she murmured, "I've missed Hogwarts."

I just nodded in agreement, Hogwarts was home, and it always would be.

I watched as the rest of the students filtered into the hall in dribs and drabs. The sight of Harry Potter and his friends emerging caused the Ravenclaw fourth years to huddle together and scamper off to the safety of their table as though he were a dragon. Normally the sight of a Slytherin would be the cause of that response, so, it was weird seeing it as an outsider.

Snape came down the bench with his usual flair of robes like a bat straight up from the dungeons, a comparison that wasn't out of place with the menacing potions master. Delivering timetables and asking about classes and the like, he worked his way up the bench to where I was sat.

"Miss Greengrass?" he asked, his black brows arched as he looked down his hooked nose at me.

"All the core classes with Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures," I requested.

"Very good choices, Miss Greengrass," Snape commended. "Work hard in Potions this year; you have the potential to get an O in your OWLs."

"Thank you, sir." Compliments from Snape were hard to come by but I couldn't help but feel proud that I had managed, for Potions no less.

After checking over my timetable I found that I had History of Magic first, so I said my goodbyes and left for my dorm to pick up the required textbook before heading to the classroom. The lesson was always boring despite the fact that the history of magic is rather interesting to learn about, the most exciting thing that happened in Professor Binn's classroom was when he entered through the blackboard at the beginning and as I was in my fifth year that was getting quite old too.

The next class was double Potions, a subject we snakes shared with the Gryffindors and I loved it in some respects – the subject, the teaching, my friends, whilst similarly I hated it with a passion. We were looked down upon all because of the house insignia we wore by the Gryffindors. There was a reason Slytherins travelled in packs, it was dangerous to be caught alone.

Goyle was a disaster in this class, managing to produce a potion so… unstable, it boiled straight through the flask and set his robes on fire. The rest of us Slytherins managed with Snape giving us his idea of a smile as he noted our grades. He made an example out of Harry that left me feeling so sorry for him but I wouldn't dare show it, he was so often led around by Granger and Weasley that the boy had barely any time to think for himself or study enough to pass on his own merits.

I was one of the first to arrive on the seventh floor for Arithmancy and was greeted with a smile by the professor. The Arithmancy room had always been one of my favourites since I started the class in my third year, with its view of the Black Lake that sparkled in the daylight. Professor Vector's gentle mannerisms were also a bonus for me, she was fair and I admired her for it. She always insisted on no house rivalries being brought into her classroom as it had no bearing on how we learnt. That was something else I found admirable about her.

"So, how many of you have done the required homework?" she asked and unsurprisingly her statement was met with groans from the rest of the class. Only Hermione and I remained silent as she looked us over with her hawk-like stare.

"Daphne? Hermione? Have you completed the required number charts for me?" she asked as she walked along the aisles of the desks, her gaze still fixed upon the two of us.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione called loudly before directing a condescending gaze on me when I didn't scream my reply to the class.

"I have completed it," I told her with a small smirk at Hermione's sour face; "My aunt passed it along when she visited you last week."

"Ah…" the teacher remarked with a small smile, "Be sure to pass along my regards, will you? She's such a dear."

The lesson moved along quite slowly for some reason, most of it spent going over OWLs and what would be required of us before she gave us a twelve inch essay to complete on the use of Arithmancy in the Middle Ages and its various applications to the magical world now. In short, it was dull, a real surprise considering how much I actually enjoy Professor Vector's lessons.

By lunch my brain felt like it had melted as I sunk onto the wooden bench of the Slytherin table with a sigh of relief and a happy grin to my fellow housemates. Millicent slid into the space next to me with a small smile as she began to eat. I felt too exhausted to eat and dozed lightly, content that nothing bad would happen as I had Millie by my side and she was actually quite loyal despite popular beliefs held by other students, namely the Gryffindors.

"So, Daphne," Millie said, drawing my attention to her, "how was your summer?"

"Fine," I agreed, rising into a sitting position with a yawn, "Not much really happened, I suppose. I saw my Aunt, that was fun."

She turned to face me more fully and asked, "Your Aunt Selene, right?"

I nodded to her before asking, "How was your summer? Any more issues with those… people?" I wouldn't dare say 'muggles' at a table full of Slytherins, despite the fact that virtually all of them held very little ill will toward the non-magic communities, we had an image to uphold. Millicent had been having issues with some muggles in the area she lived in, picking on her and such, I'd offered to take care of it but she wouldn't let me. It was a pride thing, I guess.

"Eh… It was okay, they never really said much to me," she told me, avoiding my eyes but just as I was about to call her out on it Blaise sat down on my other side with a sigh, immediately grabbing at the lunch in front of him with an eagerness I'd only ever seen in wild animals and Ron Weasley. When he paused long enough to breathe he spoke, "So, I'm not the only one thinking that lessons are being a real drag, am I?" Before either Millie or I could answer he was talking again, "I mean, I know they aren't exactly 'fun' but I can normally manage to keep my eyes open."

Before Blaise could launch into another tirade I spoke up of my agreement, "Yeah, we've already been given two essays and a chapter to read already, it's been horrendous!"

Blaise nodded in agreement, his attention being recaptured by the food on his plate and a glance up and down the table showed most of my male housemates were similarly occupied. I joined them and ate my fill, taking particular delight in the sugary delights on offer to us before Pansy sat down with her posse in tow making me glad I had eaten before she arrived with the way her high nasally voice was grating on my nerves and turning my stomach.

"So," she started drawing our attention to her, "what are we going to do to celebrate Daph's birthday?"

"Why should it be any different from the way we always celebrate?" Draco asked, raising a fine blonde eyebrow at the pug on his arm.

"Drake-" the girl cried in outrage only for Draco to cut her off.

"It's Draco, Pansy. You know this," he told her coolly without so much as making eye contact.

The girl snorted before turning back to me. I really wish she would refrain from making sounds reminiscent of barnyard animals. But there definitely appeared to be trouble in paradise, "What do you think, Daphne?"

"I don't mind, Pansy," I said trying to placate her before she threw a tantrum of epic proportions, she was used to getting her way having been the apple of Mr Parkinson's eye since she fell out of her mother.

"You should, you know. I have an idea, let's throw a party in here!" she enthused, trying to get us excited about her idea but Blaise apparently felt the need to burst her bubble.

"It's great, Pansy. But, let's put aside the issue of Daphne isn't one for big fusses, Dumbledore would never okay this, and you know it."

"Fine," she spat, "we'll just have a party in the common room."

I smiled thankfully at Blaise, glad that he'd saved me from the terror that was Pansy Parkinson, a bell went and we filed out of the hall and left for the DADA classroom with apprehension hidden in our eyes.

**Done! When I was writing this chapter, it stretched to over five thousand words so I cut it down and it's still a decent length chapter. The next part will be uploaded shortly but before then, what do you think of this? The action really starts next chapter, hope you don't get bored!**

**Here are my responses to your reviews: **

**To **_**Kairan1979: **__Thanks for the review, glad you like the story!_

**To **_**jerackme (anon): **__Thank you for the correction, unnecessary as it was, in the world of purebloods, they care about social standing and their image. 'Daphne and me' is informal so wouldn't be approved of in my AU world of purebloods. And, I could have done without the sarcastic 'Sorry mom' comment. Grammar corrections don't bother me; your attitude about it did, however._

**To **_**MaudeLebowski: **__Thanks for the compliment! I hope I continue to live up to your expectations. Here's an update!_

**To **_**LordXeenTheGreat: **__Thanks! Enjoy the story !_

**To **_**GoldenSteel: **__Sorry it's taking so long to get to the real action but that will pick up next chapter with Daphne's inheritance._

**To **_**Sk8ernv: **__Thanks, here is the next chapter and the third shouldn't take too much longer either._

**To **_**amata0221: **__Here is more!_

**To **_**nymlover: **__Thank you! _

**To **_**Hivedragon: **__Here is more of Snakes and Souls, hope you enjoy._

**To **_**QHLuver: **__The spelling errors were corrected before your review and I can't see them so can you tell me if this is still happening? Thanks for pointing it out though._


	3. Chapter 3: The Transformation

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**AN: This is the third chapter and here everything kicks off! Finally! Hope you all love it too! I forgot to mention last chapter that your incredible response to this story has amazed me and I have such an urge to continue writing HP fanfiction all of a sudden, I don't know why. Enjoy this chapter! The scene in Umbridge's classroom comes from **_**Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix**_**.**

**Chapter 3**

We all entered the room together knowing there was strength in numbers and, judging by the toad in pink's saccharine smile, we needed it. Nobody in our class knew what she was like so everyone remained silent as she directed us take our seats in the usual regimented rows.

"Well, good afternoon!" she called from her desk, as soon as everybody had sat down.

I was one of the few who mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply as the transfiguration accident stood up from behind her desk with a frown on her thin lips.

"Tut, tut," she chided, her bulging eyes narrowing on each one of us like we were flies for her to eat. "That won't do now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," we chanted back at her drearily, I scarcely held in my snicker as she looked down at us with barely concealed distaste in her bloated eyes.

"There, now," she crooned sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please." I was getting the impression that this delusional woman thought saying 'please' every other word was the key to making us cooperate. It wasn't, it was only succeeding in annoying me and my fellow classmates. Even the usually stoic and suave Draco and Blaise were having trouble holding back the sneer that wanted to spread across their faces. Personally, I was having trouble not glaring at the toad who was dressed in the same hideous cardigan of the night previous and I had to fight the impulse to ask her if she owned any other clothes.

We all exchanged looks that clearly showed our depression at the thought of a lesson on defence with no wands. It had never been any fun before and I doubted it would be now.

She stood at the front of the class, all five foot and twenty stone of her, her hands primly clasped in front of her as she proceeded to badmouth every teacher we had ever had in the subject. She set us to work on copying out her course aims before asking, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

We all mumbled our confirmation that we had indeed wasted our hard earned galleons on that disaster of a book. This did not go down well with the amphibious professor as she told us the correct was she should be addressed; I honestly think History of Magic might be more interesting…At least Binns is a ghost…

"I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One, Basics for Beginners', there will be no need to talk," the professor told us slowly like we had the brains of a troll, I could understand this tone with a child or someone like Crabbe or Goyle but not with a room full of now sullen teenagers.

I opened the book to the designated page and scoffed slightly in the silent classroom, drawing the eyes of Professor Umbridge to myself, "Something the matter, dear?"

"No, Professor," I told her, hearing the quiet laughter of my alleged friends.

"Very well."

I started to read as instructed and experienced the sensation of my mind melting for the second time that day as I re-read the same line over and over again. A nudge from my right had me looking up at Blaise with a raised brow, he just nodded to the other side of the classroom where none other than Hermione Granger sat primly with one hand raised in an attempt to catch Professor Umbridge's attention and a quick glance around the room showed that no single student was even looking at their book anymore under the false pretence of reading and were now staring at the muggleborn bookworm in suspense.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" the toad asked sweetly, her eyes narrowed in on the girl sitting there waiting.

"Not about the chapter, no," she admitted to the teacher.

The professor tried to dismiss her comment and redirect our attention back to reading but the bushy haired girl persisted, "I've got a question about the course aims."

The toady woman raised her eyebrows, staring down the student nearly every other professor at Hogwarts loved, "And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger," she said stiffly.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," she said ever so sweetly and the slight to the muggleborn's intelligence was not going to go unnoticed.

"Well, I don't," the muggleborn said bluntly. Clearly the girl had never heard of tact or that you'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells." I admit, I was curious about that but I wasn't stupid enough to actually ask.

The toad woman proceeded to act like Granger was insane for even suggesting the need to ever use defensive spells. "You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

That was when Ronald Weasley finally woke up, "We not going to be using magic?"

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr-"

"Weasley."

Harry and Hermione immediately lifted their hands in the air whilst the rest of us watched this circus act. The professor's eyes slid over Harry, landing on Granger, "Yes, Miss Granger? You wish to ask something else?"

"Yes," she agreed, "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?"

"Are you a ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" the Umbridge toad asked sweetly.

Granger walked right into that one, "No, but-"

"Well then," Umbridge began, "I am afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure risk-free way-"

Harry called across the classroom, startling me, "What use is that? If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a-"

"Hand, Mr Potter!" the professor sang at him, her eyes wide.

He did as he was told, a credit to him and his sense of self-preservation, but she turned away and began dealing with other foolhardy Gryffindors that questioned her authority. Frankly I agreed with the Gryffindors that something needed to be done about Umbridge and her abysmal teaching but it wasn't a good idea to charge into proverbial battle when you were so ill-prepared.

Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter all acted first and thought second, something I found to be admirable but stupid; you wouldn't catch a Slytherin doing that.

I was drawn out of my thought when Harry spoke again, "Hmm, let's think…. Maybe… Lord Voldemort?"

The Gryffindors all freaked out at the sound of You-Know-Who. I did not let it startle me that badly but it didn't mean I wasn't shocked by his easy utterance of the Dark Lord's name. The other Slytherins were impressed too; I could read it in their eyes, Harry Potter had just earned our respect.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter."

It was silent as the toad's red face evened out to a dark fuchsia not unlike her clothing, "Now, let me make a few things quite plain. You have been told that a certain Dark Wizard has returned from the dead-"

"He wasn't dead," Harry argued angrily, his face taut with ire, "but yeah, he's returned!"

I looked up at Blaise and murmured, "He's going to get himself killed."

Blaise didn't argue, his eyes never leaving Umbridge's form as he replied, "Yep, but what a way to go. I can read the Prophet headlines now, 'Boy Who Lived died'. I tell you, Daphne, I don't like Gryffindors but Harry," he said pausing contemplatively, "Harry has guts. I'm impressed."

"Me too," I couldn't help but murmur as I watched him argue with our teacher. He was definitely brave. Stupid, but brave.

The professor spoke again, catching my attention, "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It is not a lie!" Harry exploded in rage, "I saw him! I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr Potter!" Umbridge cackled. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie." A moment of silence descended on us all as she began to speak the biggest load of rubbish this side of the equator, "The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is, alarming you with fibs about re-born Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners'."

The professor sat down behind her desk and I thought that would be the end of it but then Harry stood up and even I looked at him like he was mad.

"Harry, no!" Hermione whispered loudly, alerting everybody in the near silent class.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" he asked her defiantly, his voice shaking slightly with pent up emotion and for some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes off of him.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she told us with all the compassion of a gnat.

"It was murder," Harry insisted, shaking and I still watched him with an eagerness that frightened me but I could not pull my eyes from his form. "Voldemort killed him and you know it."

I breathed in sharply; my mind whirling at how easily he had used the name like the Dark Lord was an acquaintance or childhood enemy, not the most feared wizard in history.

"Come here, Mr Potter, dear," she said in her sweetest voice.

He kicked his chair aside and strode up to her desk with an attitude I hadn't known he had, Harry was strong like this, he was somebody to watch and respect. Two qualities I would never have put with Harry Potter, the usually simpleminded Gryffindor that let his 'friends' bully him about. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," she told him in a voice as sweet as it was sharp.

He said nothing as he took the bright pink note from her chubby hand and left the room, slamming the door in his wake.

The Slytherins and I shared a look before nodding as one, this Harry that we had seen a glimpse of here was somebody we'd like to know more about, someone that had gained our attention and impressed us.

"Reading," Umbridge told us, "Now."

And that was the end of that.

The two weeks flew by until my birthday was upon me – the fifteenth of September. Lessons had continued on in much the same way, homework being heaped upon us so regularly I felt like I was drowning in parchment and ink.

I turned sixteen, the age of maturity in terms of physicality. I had another year to go until the trace was removed but a girl could dream. I threw on my school robes and Pansy and Millie gave me their gifts – a book on advanced beauty charms from Pansy and a floral wand holder from Millie. Only one of these would end up getting use from me and, despite my love for reading, it wasn't the book. I thanked them both and we descended into the common room below only for a yell of "Happy Birthday!" to catch me off guard making me shriek in surprise. I was caught up in hugs from everyone with Blaise feeling the need to outdo them all by picking me up and twirling me around before depositing me in front of an amused Professor Snape who smirked down at me before handing me a gift, "Potion Making for Dunces." I knew this was his own unique form of humour so I didn't say a word of outrage, despite how badly I wanted to. I also noticed that he smelt strange to me, something slightly different about his usual smell of potions fumes.

A snicker of laughter came from him as he instructed, "Open it, Greengrass." I did as he told me and grinned when the centre of the book was cut out revealing a perfect hiding place for all manner of objects but at that moment there was a large bar of Honeyduke's Finest. I wanted to squeal in happiness as the professor wished me a happy birthday before he spun and left the dungeons with his usual grandiosity.

I felt a twinge of pain in my shoulders but shrugged it off in favour of leading nearly every fifth year in Slytherin to the Great Hall, just before I stepped through the doors a silver sash embroidered with 'Birthday Queen' in green cursive was slipped around me by none other than Blaise Zabini.

We entered the hall together; the first hint that something was different in Slytherin house and that was before the Weasley twins stood up on the Gryffindor benches and bellowed across the hall amid the protests of Professor McGonagall.

"Hey, Greengrass! You don't look a day over forty! Happy Birthday!" the yelled together.

I stepped up onto the benches to yell back, "Well, at least I look younger than you!"

They shared a look before beaming, "Touché, Greengrass!"

The commotion eventually died down with the Weasley twins getting themselves a detention with McGonagall for their 'rowdy shenanigans'.

I overheard McGonagall telling Snape off for not disciplining his students, his droll reply was, "It's the girl's birthday, Minnie. Cut her some slack." With that he went back to his breakfast, leaving me laughing and McGonagall stunned into a stupor.

I tucked into a stack of pancakes drizzled with sweet syrup happily, my housemates smiling at me as those that hadn't seen me yet wished me a happy birthday, too. I think we left the rest of the hall in shock as they barely said a word, choosing to watch us snakes carefully. Even the professors seemed bewildered by our almost familial actions and spared Snape looks of curiosity throughout breakfast.

I recognised several of the owls as they poured into the Great Hall and nearly twelve landed in front of me, Millie and Blaise helping to send them back on their way. The first package I opened was from my aunt and it was a small handheld enchanted mirror charmed to comment as she would and a book on the languages of the world, muggle and wizard alike, as well as a book on the various magical creatures of the world. I made a mental reminder to send her a note later before tearing into my next gift, a set of charmed hair combs from my parents. The other gifts from my grandparents, cousins and relatives were all vanity related with the notable exception of my mother's mother who gifted me a book on illusion charms, a personal interest of mine. The Malfoy's even sent a package of Honeyduke's treats that I vowed to tuck into later. A house elf I recognised to be Dee Dee took all my gifts back up to my room and I thanks her with a smile as she stammered out her words.

"So, our little Daphne is sixteen…" Draco pointed out with a smirk.

I was about to reply when two arms wrapped around me making me shriek as my friends laughed, I spun to see my sister standing there with a grin on her little face, her teak coloured hair tied back and her eyes alight with mischief.

"Happy Birthday, Daphne!" she cried belatedly, throwing her arms up in the air before handing me a small, barely wrapped box.

"Thanks, Tory," I told her before looking down at the box with a smile on my face. She sat next to me as Millie slid up the bench and looked at me expectantly.

"Open it," she ordered and I obliged, pulling out a beautiful snake pendant necklace with emerald eyes.

"Thanks," I told her, pulling my sister into a tight hug as she smiled up at me.

"It's a mood necklace," she told me as she looked at the pendant, "It comes in a set of two, I have the other one. Look," she said pulling the necklace out from under her robes. "Mine changes colour to represent how you are feeling, whilst yours changes to show how I'm feeling. Awesome, huh?" I watched as the pendant the snake was on changed colour to a bright indigo, "That means excited," she told me with a grin.

I hugged her again and we spent the rest of breakfast laughing a having a good time with the rest of the school on tenterhooks, waiting for the shoe to drop. I didn't even care what they were thinking about me, I was enjoying myself, we all were. I think it is good for the other students and the teachers to see that we weren't inherently evil just because we were purebloods. The Weasley's were purebloods and they didn't weren't thought to be evil.

The day dragged by but I pulled through until lunch, the pains in my shoulders getting more frequent, coming and going every hour or so. The headaches started just before lunch and it was all I could do to walk into the hall and sit down. I saw the spread in front of me and chose to just drink pumpkin juice and rip into the bar of chocolate I had been given by Professor Snape that morning. The sweet taste of chocolate seemed to numb my pounding head as I indulged myself the treat.

My housemates sat down with me and as I felt better I joined them in conversation, feeling eyes on me for a majority of the time I sat there. I looked up suddenly, my eyes meeting Harry Potter's green ones and he nodded at me, mouthing the words 'Happy Birthday' before the Weasley girl drew his attention back to her but I didn't miss the spiteful glare she gave me.

"Daph, what's wrong?" Blaise whispered to me as he looked me over, a faint look of worry in his eyes.

"Nothing," I dismissed him, I was fine just a little under the weather for some reason or another.

He looked me in the eye for a minute longer before he nodded, "As long as you're sure."

"I am," I told him, digging into my chocolate once more.

I left for the green houses with my friends, a smile on my face that only disappeared when a pain wracked my body but I passed it off as stiffness from sitting too long and they seemed to believe me. I didn't know what was happening but I did not like it at all. If it persisted, I'd go see Pomfrey.

The last two hours of the day dragged by until I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die, pains coursed through me regularly, sending my mind into a stupor of discomfort. My eyes stung so badly that the light that filtered into the Slytherin common rooms, as minute as it was, set my eyes to feeling like they were being stabbed with a fire poker.

"Daph? Are you sure you're okay?" Blaise asked me again, drawing the attention of Pansy and Millie over.

Millicent placed a hand on my forehead and pulled away sharply, "You're burning up, Daphne. You should go to the infirmary.

"No," I groaned, curling into a ball on the sofa.

Blaise crouched in front of me with worried eyes, "At least let us go get Snape. He'll be able to help."

I didn't say a word because Pansy had already ran from the dungeons to get our Head of House. I just tried to focus my blurry eyes and still the warping of the common room.

A cool hand touched my burning face gently, and a blur of pale cream and black swarmed my vision, "She'll need to be put into quarantine in my quarters for the night," a voice said quietly and some small part of my mind that was aware still told me it was Professor Snape.

"What's wrong with her?" Blaise asked.

"Hopefully nothing serious," he told them. "I'll take her to the Potions lab so if it is anything serious, she can get to the infirmary quicker than if she were in a Girls' Dormitory. And so nobody is further exposed."

Within seconds I felt myself being picked up and a murmur of," Just hold on, Miss Greengrass." I tried to still my pounding mind enough to reply but couldn't control the rolling I felt inside myself.

I was laid down on a cold bed, that much I could discern. Where I was or who I was with, I didn't know.

"Miss Greengrass, I'm going to Floo your Aunt, I believe she may be of more assistance than me at this present time," Snape said quietly and I heard the rush of fire that signified a Floo call.

Soon the pain changed and became more continuous and I fought hard to contain the whimpers that wanted to crawl out of my throat.

"How long, Severus?" my aunt asked.

"Seven years," was his reply.

"Who?" she asked.

"Ex-student."

"Ah… I have yet to find mine."

There was silence again, the sound of my rushed breathing being the only thing I could hear over my racing heartbeat. Suddenly a blissful coolness began to spread through me, easing away the agony I had felt only moments before. I opened my eyes when I felt like I could breathe again and saw everything. Everything was in such clarity that I drew a breath quickly.

"Daphne?" a voice I recognised to be my aunt's made me turn in her direction only to freeze up as I took in everything about her.

"Aunt Selene?" I asked confusedly, sitting up on the bed quickly. "What's going on?"

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her blue eyes watching me carefully, "It's happened, Daph."

"What's happened?" I asked her warily, taking in the seriousness of her blue gaze.

"Your mother's maiden name was Cole," she told me, waiting for a moment whilst I nodded, "The women of the Cole line have occasionally been blessed, or cursed as you may wish to think of it, with the resurfacing of the creature blood of our ancestors."

My palms began to sweat and my breathing quickened slightly as I worked out where this was going, "What creature?" I asked breathlessly, my eyes wide with fear.

"Daphne, the women of our line occasionally inherit Succubus blood and when they turn sixteen it manifests itself physically," she told me in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Physically?" I asked feeling sick as I started to untangle myself from the blankets to get to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room.

My aunt stepped back from me slightly as I stood up and I couldn't help but notice that I was now equal to Selene in height, "Daphne, take it slow," she ordered, "Let me help you."

We walked together to the mirror and I looked into my once boring brown eyes and saw they were no longer the colour of mud; they were a warm brown only found in nature with swirls and nuances of gold inside them. My dark chocolate hair was now down to my rib cage and was a startling lighter brown with darker tones streamed throughout. My face was also different, not an ounce of fat visible with higher cheekbones and fuller lips. My eyes trailed down to my body and the Hogwarts uniform I wore no longer fit properly with a button missing in the bust area as that had increased in size. My legs were also longer, seeming to go on for miles. In short, I was a knockout, curves in all the right places with the kind of figure only seen in a Playwizard magazine. My aunt met my eyes in the mirror and that was when I knew that the same thing had happened to her. My aunt Selene was a Succubus too.

"Do you understand, Daphne?" she asked me in her voice that rung like bells and hit every note.

"I think so," I told her seriously, a lot calmer than I had been. I listened as my own voice seemed to echo off the walls and ring at the perfect pitch. "We are Succubi."

She smiled, "What do you think of the wings?"

"Wings?" I asked and just the word was enough to send them peeling off of my back and unfurling so I could see them in my reflection. They were magnificent, covered in black feathers with a wingspan of around two metres.

"To draw them back in, take a deep breath and tighten your back muscles," she told me with a fond smile and I nodded at her words before focussing again and slowly but surely drawing them back into my skin.

"Was that good?" I asked, slightly breathlessly, hoping for reassurance.

She just nodded, leading me back to the bed. "There's a lot to tell you, Daphne. Succubi are… misunderstood. It is common in muggle folklore that we invade the dreams of men and have our way with them." She smiled, laughing slightly, "It's amazing really, just how much they get wrong about us, even wizards and witches still don't understand us. We aren't evil beings, Daphne."

I didn't say a word to her, just looked into her eyes as she continued, summoning a book from her bag and handing it to me. I read the title and looked up at her in disbelief, "Magical Beings of Lust?"

She chuckled at me and my hilarious facial expression before gesturing to the book, "That is probably the most accurate book I've been able to find."

I nodded, opening it up and scanning the index for Succubi before flipping to the correct page and starting to read the entry.

_Succubi are creatures of magic that charm and captivate people of both muggle and magical origin. Muggle mythology traditionally calls them seducers of men and that repeated sexual relations leads to death or poor health. This is a true fact of Succubi and their mates whom are Incubi. A female typically comes into her Succubus inheritance at the age of maturity and then selects any male she deems worthy during a series of sexual encounters with various men with the one that please her the most becoming her chosen partner._

_Her mate is always an Incubus to balance out her sexual hunger and lust with the females feeling possessive and territorial of their mates. If one of the pairing dies the other avenges them before beginning the cycle again and finding a new mate._

"Is this all true?" I asked my aunt worriedly, looking up to meet her eyes.

"No," she told me, shaking her head of mahogany waves, "It is true that we are able to charm and entrance people but not to the extent that book claims. It is a subtle allure, not mind control." She smiled at me, running her hand through my new hair, "We also aren't seducers of men… Well, you could be if you wanted but we aren't inherently and sex with a normal person doesn't kill them, Daphne." We shared a laugh and I was glad to find some normalcy in our interaction, "It is also true that our mates our Incubi but they don't start that way," she continued on, "they start human, either muggle or wizard and our more natural, instinctive side searches at night through the dreams of the men around us for the one with a soul that matches ours. It is quite romantic, no?" she offered a smile but there was a hint of sadness in the set of her face and shining within the depths of her eyes.

"Hmm…" I agreed, but I was more focussed on my aunt and the tear that trailed down her cheek that she thought I didn't see. I chose not to press the issue at that moment but I knew I would eventually; there was something more to that story. "Anything else?" I asked softly, sighing when she looked up and met my eyes.

"There is always more, Daphne. But, in regards to us? The only thing I can think to add is that if our mate is killed we avenge them and then we die." She paused letting me absorb this before continuing, "We are not the sex-driven harlots we are made out to be, we are just lonely women, longing for our soul mates."

It was silent as I took in what she said and had a moment to look around the dark, very Slytherin room, "Where are we?"

Selene cracked a smile, "Professor Snape's private rooms." I quirked my brow, waiting for an explanation. "Snape is an Incubus, darling."

I froze, "Wait, what?"

She laughed at my astonishment, "Why do you think that despite his foul-manner, girls at Hogwarts still find him to be the sexiest professor since Salazar Slytherin?"

**Wow, longest chapter at over five thousand words! How brilliant! You response to this story has amazed me as **_**Snakes and Souls**_** has 22 reviews, 44 favourites and 67 follows.**

**To **_**vampireex: **__Haphne can be expected soonish, I think. I don't want it to be too sudden but I don't want to wait either so, maybe in a couple chapters time? _

**To **_**digijim95: **__Glad its original, that was one of the things that made me accept the challenge and I have a so enjoyed writing this. Keep reading!_

**To **_**Sk8ernv: **__Thank you, character development has always been a weak point for me so that compliment is a huge ego boost._

**To **_**MaudeLebowski: **__Thanks for the review, sorry if the story is dragging a bit but I want you all to enjoy it. And if you have read the entire chapter, you know that Daphne's awesome Aunt Selene holds a secret or two._

**To **_**Lunar Kitsune83: **__Thanks for letting me know, I wasn't paying attention when I wrote it but now it has been corrected._

**To **_**MagicSilver7081: **__Thank you, here's an update! Also, thanks for mentioning the Order of the Phoenix thing, it is now corrected._

**To **_**Hivedragon: **__I know what you mean, I've always thought Slytherins were unfairly represented. The creature I've used is like the original one but has my own twist on it. I think it makes it more interesting and besides, Daphne and Selene aren't hoes. _

**To **_**LordXeenTheGreat: **__Thanks, it means a lot._

**To **_**Master of the A.U. Fanfiction: **__Thanks for the compliments. Hope you liked this chapter._

**To **_**WinterRain36: **__Thanks, I'm not sure how it'll play out but I like your suggestion, tell me what you think of this chapter!_

**To **_**SimFlyer: **__I'm so glad you like the different view; I've always thought Slytherins weren't evil, just misunderstood._

**To **_**LuxEterna1: **__Thanks a lot, here's another chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4: Back to School

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**Just a note: There is a POV swap in this chapter, to better show the story of Daphne and Harry. **

**Chapter 4**

I sipped my tea carefully, avoiding eye contact with my head of house. It had been a few hours since my Aunt had told me the truth about what I was and I am proud to say that I was no longer suffering from full-body shakes from the shock of the ordeal. Still, the fact that I was adjusting did not change the point that I was no longer just plain old Daphne Greengrass, Slytherin witch. I was now Daphne Greengrass, Succubus and witch.

It might not be much of a difference but I could feel it with every breath I took and every time I blinked my long lashes, I could even feel it in the beat of my heart that something was different. I was different. It was a hard truth to swallow.

I took a steadying breath before meeting the dark eyes of Severus Snape, "When can I return to classes?"

He paused and eyed me with scrutiny, "I'd say, maybe after lunch. That way it will give you some time to adjust and for a glamor to be put into place."

"A glamor, sir?" I asked curiously whilst my potions master looked down at me.

"Yes, Greengrass," he snapped in irritation, seeming to be fed up of my stupidity and I couldn't help the slight wince that slipped through my façade. Selene hissed at him in warning, her blue eyes like daggers as she tensed in her armchair. Snape growled to himself moodily before explaining, "A glamor is an appearance affecting charm that can be tethered to an item or accessory for prolonged usage or simply cast upon oneself for short bouts."

Aunt Selene took over, sending a final harsh glare towards Snape before her eyes looked to me, "If we do the longer glamor, it will take about an hour to take effect so, shall we get started?" she asked pulling a ring from her pocket, lifting it for my inspection.

My lips curled in distaste unwittingly and I tried to apologise to my aunt but there was something about the jewellery I instinctively didn't like. My aunt just smiled and produced another ring from somewhere on her person, this time I felt an inner presence hum its approval enthusiastically. The ring was simple silver with an onyx in the centre and a few emeralds along the rest of the band. something about it just screamed me.

My aunt stood and slid the ring into place on my hand before drawing her wand and completing several complicated movements with mumbled words and I felt my curls of hair recede to their original length and darken to the brown they were the day previous. I felt a buzzing sensation in my eyes and blinked them closed.

"Daphne," my aunt called me, "Open your eyes. I need to check the colour."

I took a breath before opening my eyes to see her kind face looking down at me. She nodded and smiled at me before pulling my slightly shaky form into her arms for a hug. I pulled away and noticed the chair Professor Snape had been in was empty. My aunt caught my line of sight and clarified, "He had to go to classes. We're lucky you got out of them, to be honest."

"Good," I replied quietly, not feeling up to conversation at the moment.

"Yeah," Selene replied back, her hand running through my hair. She pulled away to look me in the eyes; "If you ever want to talk to me, about anything, I'm only a Floo call away. You know that right?"

"Don't worry," I told her sincerely before asking, "Who knows about my creature inheritance?"

My Aunt paused for a moment in thought, "I do, and Snape does. Um… Dumbledore knows and I'll be telling your Mum when I go home. So, not many people but I suspect the teachers will all be told and sworn to secrecy about you, too."

I groaned to myself in despair, "I don't want Umbridge to know. She hates me enough already! She's always going on about how much she detests 'filthy half-breeds'."

"Oh, Daphne," my Aunt murmured, "You shouldn't have to listen to that deplorable woman! You aren't a half-breed and you aren't below anybody else." She looked me in the eye seriously, "Remember, nobody can tell you how much you are worth, Daphne. Now," she smiled at me happily, "are you ready for class?"

I smiled up at her, trying to quell the bubbling nerves in my stomach. I took a deep breath and nodded, slipping on my school robes and straightening my tie carefully. I smoothed down my uniform before turning to face my aunt for her approval.

She kissed my cheek and smiled, "You look fine. Get going, you don't want to be late!"

I chuckled and left, heading for the Great Hall to meet up with the rest of the school to show them myself. In reality there wasn't much of a difference to my looks now than before, I was a bit taller, a bit curvier but the glamour my aunt put on me stopped my new attributes from being too obvious. I'd been briefed on me cover story as well. Apparently, my reaction was due to a possible case of Dragon Pox – a highly contagious and fatal disease. Upon discovery you are meant to be isolated to stop it spreading. Luckily, I didn't have the disease so after the twelve hour period I was free to leave and be integrated amongst society once more.

As soon as I stepped into the Great Hall, all eyes were on me. My absence at Slytherin table was apparently noticeable enough for more than one person to notice. My sister stood from the bench and wrapped her thin arms around me tightly, her tears being spelled away by me.

"Daphne," she sobbed quietly, sniffing slightly.

"Shh… It's okay, Tory! I'm fine! It was just a precaution. I'm okay! You don't need to worry about me, you know." I tried with all my heart to reassure her but she just wasn't buying it. "Please, Tory, believe me. I'm okay."

"I know," she whispered slowly, her tears long gone with my spell, "I was worried because my mood pendant went black which means you were scared, Daphne."

"I was just worried about Dragon Pox, but I'm good," I said, hugging her quickly before walking over to join Slytherin table amongst the silence of the Hall.

"Excuse me! Stop staring!" Pansy yelled out at them all, losing her strict, pureblood nobility demeanour in favour of berating the student populace. The other houses begrudgingly turned back to their food as I sat at the bench, looking at the worried eyes around me. Their facial expression did not betray worry but their eyes did. I recognised the looks I received from seeing them in my own eyes. They were worried but, being Slytherins, they would not dare say so, especially, not out in public. It was just not our way. My birthday was a special occasion for us Slytherins to be just that bit more human, a bit more likeable. It would never change anything though. The hate for Slytherin house was far too deeply ingrained in the rest of the school for them to change. It was just the way it was.

"So, Daphne," Blaise said, drawing my attention to him quickly, a smile lighting my face at the sight of my friend and his worried dark eyes, "Are you alright, now? What was even wrong with you in the first place?"

I sighed at his perceptiveness before answering with the story my aunt had given me, "It was suspected that I had Dragon Pox, so Snape had me in quarantine for twelve hours to make sure that I hadn't. But, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

Blaise looked like he wanted to say more but Millie spoke up, "I'm so glad you're okay, Daph. We were all worried about you."

I smiled back at her in thanks as Pansy said, "I don't know where Draco is." She sighed glumly, staring at the large doors of the Great Hall with a look of longing on her face. "He should be here by now."

"What's wrong, Pansy?" a girl from the third year asked her from her seat at the table a few feet along.

"Nothing, Patmore," she sneered at the half-blood before going back to looking dejectedly at her breakfast. She looked up at me with big eyes, "You don't know where he is, do you, Daphne?"

"No, Pansy," I told her sincerely, looking up at Blaise for help.

He smirked at me before answering the whining Slytherin known as Pansy Parkinson, "He's probably just hexing some first years or something."

"You're right," Pansy said more determinedly, "I suppose I'll have to get used to it with the-" she cut herself off, looking around for eavesdroppers, before continuing on in a whisper, "Dark Lord is back,. He won't be around much, I suspect."

I snorted quietly at her dramatics before adding, "That's nonsense, Pansy. You-Know-Who doesn't take anyone who hasn't graduated Hogwarts; we're not even sixth years yet. We still have the trace on us."

I caught myself scanning the house tables more than once, for what? I didn't know. My eyes met a pair of gorgeous green ones and I felt my heart lurch slightly. They disappeared as the owner turned away and Blaise spoke to me, drawing my attention away from the owner of the eyes like emeralds.

**Harry Potter POV**

As I left the Great Hall at the end of lunch to head down to Herbology, Hermione and Ron pulled me into an empty classroom, looking at me with fury evident in their eyes as they stared me down viciously, both of them several inches taller than me – malnourishment at the hands of the Dursley's catching up with me.

"What?" I asked defensively, crossing my arms in front of my still wraith-like chest. I had all of the muscular toning of a Dementor.

"You were staring at Daphne Greengrass!" Hermione exploded prissily, her voice hardening like I'd committed an offense against her personally. "She's the worst kind of Slytherin pureblood! Arrogant, rude, slutty – I could go on and on, Harry! She's such a deplorable snake!"

"Why?" I found myself asking her, in a rare moment of rebellion, "What has Daphne Greengrass done that has personally offended you, Hermione?"

Her face darkened to an ominous crimson whilst Ron watched on impassively, "Harry," she said slowly, taking care to pronounce her words clearly, "she is friends with Draco Malfoy, that in and of itself should tell you that she is bad news! But," Hermione carried on undaunted, "if you want a specific example of ways she has offended me, then she once called me a know-it-all in Potions because I was able to correctly list and explain the potions properties of mandrake's root in accordance with Potions Making for Professionals."

I fixed her with an unimpressed look, "Hermione, that was once. And, even I would have called you a know-it-all, that book is for seventh years!"

"There is nothing wrong with getting ahead!" she argued with me pettily and I sighed, straightening my uniform and leaving the room to head down to the Greenhouses because I was close to being late, again…

When I arrived at Greenhouse three all of the tables were full except for one. The one that Daphne Greengrass just so happened to be sitting at.

I walked over under Professor Sprout's critical eye and sat beside her, taking care to pay attention as I didn't want to anger the usually docile Herbology teacher any more. Daphne kept her eyes to Sprout and took notes in her swirly handwriting, barely paying me an iota of her attention. The class passed by lazily and as we stood to leave, I realised just how much she towered over me at her height of around five foot six or so. She was at least three inches taller than me and I found myself wondering whether it was the influence of my Muggle relatives that had stunted my growth or the genes from my parents. Boys were meant to grow like weeds during their teen years; my classmates were certainly proof of that, as were all the boys in my dormitory.

Daphne nodded to me, her eyes roving my form unconsciously, making me shiver under her gaze, "Potter." She walked past me and out of the building with her housemates, not even looking back. I sighed, picking up my things and leaving in the wake of the Slytherins, my mind occupied by thoughts of a certain brown-eyed Slytherin witch.

"Oi, Harry!" a voice called and I spun on my heel to face my roommates, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom.

"Hi," I called back at them with a smile, waiting for them to catch up. "What's going on then?"

"Well," Dean started, smirking at his Irish friend, "Shay here has got the hots for a Slytherin bird, or snake as it may be."

Neville chuckled quietly to himself, catching Seamus' attention quickly. The Irishman snickered to himself, "Don't think you're left out of this, Nev! I've caught you ogling that Ravenclaw!" Seamus put on a poor impersonation of Neville, "Luna! Luna!"

We broke out in laughter, grinning at each other happily, it had been ages since I'd properly laughed with friends and I found myself relishing the time with Seamus, Dean and Neville.

"What about you, Harry?" Neville asked, his face still red from the remark about Luna Lovegood.

"What about me?" I evaded.

Dean scoffed, "You know what we're on about, Harry! Who's your bird of choice this week?"

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at Dean, "There's nobody I like at the minute."

"Oh, really?" Seamus asked with doubt in his eyes.

"Would I lie to you?" I responded with a cheeky smirk. None of them responded, instead choosing to fix me with a look, "Fine." I gave in with a mock sigh, "It's you Dean!"

There was silence for a minute before they broke in with catcalls and hoots of laughter. Neville sidled up to me as the other two got louder and more raucous, "They're idiots, aren't they?

I nodded, "Yep but you just can't beat the duo that is Thomas and Finnegan!"

We laughed, all heading back up to castle and the warmth it offered from the chilling air of the autumn. We received quite a few looks as we walked to Gryffindor Tower, more than half of them directed at me and the lack of Hermione and Ron with me. The other looks were directed to Dean and Seamus who were singing and hooting all the way through the castle.

Just as the common room portrait came into sight we heard sinister laughter echoing from around the corner in a nearby classroom. A shriek was heard and I shared a quick look with the boys before running around the corner, my friends following me. I opened the door and found Draco Malfoy and his goons standing around a terrified second year girl whilst they threw hexes at her that she had no hope of shielding herself from.

"Protego!" I cried, throwing up a shield around her before confronting Malfoy with a sneer on my face.

"Potter," he greeted snidely, his hand clenching around his wand.

"Malfoy," I replied in kind.

We paused, our eyes watching the other carefully, Goyle made to grab at me and I sent a stunner his way, knocking him to the ground in a heap. Malfoy sent a "Bombarda!" at me. I threw a shield up around myself and we exchanged curses, ducking and dodging each attempt to kill the other.

We spun together, wands at each other's necks in a stalemate.

Begrudgingly we separated and Malfoy sneered at me, "Sleep with one eye open, Potter!"

I left the room, not daring to turn my back on him, walking to the common room on my own. A chorus of 'Hello' rang out as I walked straight to the boys' rooms and, undressing quickly, collapsed on my bed, overcome with exhaustion from the day. If I got hungry, I could always call Dobby…

I fell into a deep sleep, my mind receding into the blackness with familiarity. That was when I felt it. Warmth in my mind, so warm and almost loving that it melted all of my defences and flooded my mind with a natural familiarity. A song that was so enchanting and ethereal swept through my mind and washed away any last vestiges of resistance.

Haunting and eerily beautiful amber brown eyes looked into my mind and that was when I felt something switch in me, an instinct, long buried and forgotten hummed to life in my mind. A feminine purr of approval rushed to me and I felt successful and proud for no apparent reason as a lilting voice sung me into deeper dreams leaving me yearning and desperate for more.

**I sincerely apologise for the delay in getting you all this fourth chapter. I have many excuses that you honestly will not care about but I promise that I will try to be more consistent with my updates so you all are not left hanging for so long again. **

**As it stands this story has gotten far more attention than I ever expected with 49 reviews, 98 favourites and 179 alerts! This is amazing! And all for only three chapters so far! Oh, and overall views number 8,801! This is so amazing, please keep it up. **

**I am sorry this is so short but I had very little time when I wrote this and I feel awful about leaving you all hanging! So, more on Daphne and Harry interactions next chapter, I promise! **

**There are too many reviews for me to reply to them all but I have read and 'aww'd' over every one and they mean the world to me.**

**To highlander348 –** I think Harry would resist Daphne, too. But, you have to remember, he is also an awkward, teenage boy with serious issues. His relatives screwed him up and I don't like the fact that in HP books as soon as he gets to school, all is right in his world regarding the Dursleys.

**To MaudeLebowski – **So glad you like the way I write Daphne, it's been a struggle I admit to keep people in character with some people saying they like the Slytherins with emotions and others saying 'why is Snape so nice?'. I try to keep it accurate but find it hard to believe that they are all heartless!

**To Susan (Anon) – **Thank you for your comment about the first three chapters being pointless but if you don't like, don't read. Simple as that, the story is progressing slowly, just how I want it to. They aren't going to rush together and suddenly be in love forever. It doesn't work like that.

**To AlsoKnownAsMatt – **Thanks for the review. As you can see I have addressed the initial height issue, hope I did okay! The technicalities always bug me, too!

**To Fallen-Ryu – **In terms of magic and rituals… I won't say anymore! Also, I love Sirius! I'm a major fan girl and if this story okay, well I can see myself writing a kind of sequel for Sirius.

**Now, can I get some more amazing, awe-inspiring reviews! They make me write faster! Besides I can now devote all my time to this story instead of my other Avengers story! Yay! I prefer this one anyway! So, please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Mates

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**Chapter 5**

I awoke with a start, my heart flying and my breathing harsh. I placed my hand over my racing heart and took deep, long breaths, trying in vain to calm my tense body. That presence in my mind was back with full force, squawking its protest at my hasty wake up.

Why I had woken up was a mystery to me, a strange yearning that filled me to the brim, threatening to spill over and overwhelm me completely. I sighed as the high wore off, laying back down on my green sheets and staring at the canopy above me.

Those eyes like emeralds still sung within my mind, beckoning me closer, calling to me like the sirens of old, the creatures so similar to myself now. Try as I might, sleep would not come for me. I lay in bed before the yearning in me took over and I changed from my nightdress into my more casual robes. With several quick spells I was ready for the day, hair done to perfection like always and I left the common room in a rush, nobody awake so early on the weekends. I crept through the castle silently, all of my senses on high alert as I listened and smelt for the one I wanted. The one I was searching so desperately. I caught a faint whiff of something that struck a chord within my mind and I took off down the corridor, my mind haywire as I leapt up staircases – single-mindedly focussing on the one I sought so frantically. I slowed as I neared the Gryffindor Tower, my eyes flicking about for a sign of the elusive one, my mate. His scent grew stronger proving that I was on the right track, the beast within me purred in approval, practically singing her exaltation.

"Hem, hem."

I froze in my tracks, my eyes as wide as Quaffles.

"Hem, hem."

I turned slowly and came face to face with the she-toad known formally as Professor Dolores Umbridge. I looked down at her with innocent eyes and smiled slightly, "Yes, Professor?"

"What are you doing down here so early, Miss Greengrass?" she asked me eagerly, no doubt thinking of the blood quill she was so fond of punishing students with.

"I was just looking for the kitchens, Professor," I said, the lie slipping from my tongue easily.

"Hmm… Very quick thinking, Miss Greengrass, but I think you'll find the kitchens are the other way. Detention tonight at eight o'clock, don't be late." She turned on her ugly pink kitten heels and strutted off in the opposite direction with all the grace of a drunken giant.

I snarled quietly to myself, my mind jogged from the hunt of my mate. I needed him desperately; it was a need that was clawing its way up my throat in a vicious need to be heard. My inner feral keened, a heart wrenching sound that ripped me to pieces instantly. I slid down the wall, breathing deeply. Partly to calm myself, partly to locate his scent – my one.

"Oi, Greengrass!" a voice called from my left.

I looked up to meet the hate-filled eyes of Cormac McLaggen, "Yeah, you!" he jeered at me. I stood quickly pulling my wand from my pocket and pointing at him with a sneer on my own face, put there perfectly through years of practise looking down on people.

"Half-blood," I spat at him, "Watch your mouth before it runs off! I dread to think what might happen to your dear, old Uncle Tiberius should you not heed my words!" The lies fell from my tongue once more with an ease that was disconcerting, his uncle was perfectly safe, but he didn't need to know that.

"Just shove off, Greengrass," Seamus Finnegan said, joining the hoard of Gryffindors.

I nodded heading off down the hallway, a stunner shot past my head. I turned to see McLaggen caught mid-spell.

"Expelliamus," I whispered and his wand flew into my outstretched hand. "Watch it, McLaggen!"

I pocketed his wand and continued off down the corridor, heading for the Great Hall and the thought of breakfast made my stomach roar its protest at not being fed. The hall was busy when I arrived and I walked straight up to Snape and gave him McLaggen's wand without a word, I know that if anyone hated McLaggen more than I did at that moment it was Snape – he hated everyone. Including me, I think.

I found my seat at the table for Snakes and looked at my bleary eyed friends. They all looked presentable and neat but they're eyes told the stories of nightmares and arguments and pain. I'd always been told that the eyes were the windows to the soul and I have to agree. Millie's blue eyes spoke of her childhood being bullied and picked one, Draco's grey irises revealed his tortured youth and aspiration to live up to his father's reputation. I absently snacked on some fruit as my eyes searched again for my one. I was left disappointed when I saw no one that sung to my soul.

"Daph, are you okay?" Blaise asked, finally pulling his mind from wherever it had drifted off to.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I told him before leaning in and whispering, "How are you? You look a bit pale."

He scoffed, shrugging me off, "I'm fine." When his eyes met mine they were lit with concern, "It was you, s_orella_, that I was worried about."

I smiled at my brother in all but blood. His sentiment needed no words to reply, he knew he was my true sibling.

A strange prickling sensation erupted on the back of my neck, sending my hand there on instinct though I felt nothing amiss immediately. The sensation shifted to something reminiscent to cold water trickling down my spine sending shivers wracking through my body. I gritted my teeth, fighting the wince as pain stabbed up my right side causing me to shift away. As I leant further from Blaise the pain decreased and I breathed a tentative sigh of relief as I was left basking in the praise of my creature.

"Are you okay?" Blaise asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," I assured him, leaning away slightly when the prickling sensation reappeared on my neck.

The bell rang sending us all scurrying for our next lessons and for me, that was a relief – I only had Arithmancy.

The last hour past in a blur of numbers and frizzy hair. Granger spent the entire lesson glaring at me, barely taking notes on everything the Professor was saying – a rarity for the know-it-all.

She cornered me outside of the classroom, pinning me in place with a look from her brown eyes.

"What are you up to, Greengrass? What's your game?" she demanded, spittle flying from her mouth as she glared at me.

"What are you on about, Granger?" I asked dismissively. "Studied too hard and fried your brains, yes?"

"Would you stop that!" she sneered at me, an expression so foreign on her usually focussed face that I nearly let my shock show through. "What is your game with Harry?"

I felt my eyes widen of their own accord as the name ricocheted through me in that instant, "Harry?" I murmured out, tasting the words and the way they slid from my tongue like the silkiest velvet. I pulled my focus back to the furious muggleborn Gryffindor after a moment of wandering thoughts.

"Yes," she spat, "Why are you playing with him? Ginny won't like it!"

I felt indignation claw its way out of me like a creature all of its own. "Like I care about that stupid blood traitor!" I argued harshly, my mind spinning out of control, fighting the urge to throw off the glamor and attack her like the creature I was.

"Watch yourself, Greengrass!" she sneered at me before leaving in a flurry of her robes. I growled, stalking out of the castle and into the grounds, breathing a sigh of relief at the tranquillity that enveloped me as soon as I left the dreariness of the castle. I stared out over the Black Lake with a sigh, my eyes focussed off on some non-existent horizon. My mind whirred at the guilt I felt in my chest, a gnawing that wouldn't easy no matter how much I repented my harsh words in the corridor with the mudbl- Granger. She hadn't deserved it. I hadn't deserved her abuse but she hadn't deserved my cruelty.

A croon echoed up from the waves, like the noise of a Muggle sonar I had learnt about. It gained pitch until I located its source, the woman just under the water's surface, her long hair flowing like seaweed as she stared up at me with a large smile on her face.

She pulled herself out of the lake with a smile at me, her hair plastered to her skin. She said something quickly in a language I couldn't decipher.

"What?" I asked before shaking my head sadly at her, "I don't understand."

Confusion overcame her face as she stared into my eyes with an innocence I couldn't recall ever seeing on a mature person before she opened her mouth to try speaking again, "Succubus…" It was fragmented and spoken in the language of the Purebloods but it was a word I understood nonetheless.

I smiled reassuringly, murmuring back, "I understand now."

She smiled happily at her success, "You are Succubus. You are finding Mate?" She tilted her head to the side in curiosity, her catlike yellow eyes full to the brim with inquisitiveness.

I paused thinking carefully, my lips pursed in thought, "I suppose so, I hope I find him."

She smiled at me knowingly, "Me thinks you will." Her eyes got a distant look in them as she stared around us in awe, "He will be brave and strong. One to respect and stand with… A true hero with a pure soul untarnished by the evil that resides within."

My eyes were huge as I asked, "What? What do you mean?"

Her eyes refocused and she shrugged in confusion, her face as befuddled as I felt, "I do not know. It is being dinner time, should you not return?"

I gasped as the lateness of the hour hit me, as well as the reminder of my detention with Umbridge. It sent me scampering up the lawns and into the castle, just in time to eat my fill before the tortures of Umbridge that were scheduled for later on that night.

She led me out of the hall, her hand clasped securely onto my shoulder, despite the fact that I towered over her short form. A growl slipped through my clenched teeth as she dug her talon-like nails into my flesh, her voice never altering from its sugary sweet croon.

She sat me in front of a desk, already prepared with the blood quill on the desk ready and prepared. My eyes nerver wavered from her as I glared for all I was worth, my mind conjuring impressive visuals of torturing the toad woman in front of me, her face schooled into an expression of superiority and disgust.

"We are just waiting for one person, half-breed," she sneered at me, losing the courtesy 'Miss Greengrass' as we were alone.

"Fine with me, Professor Umbitch."

"What," she began slowly, waddling around her pink desk with murder in her protruding eyes, "did you just say?"

I stared up at her from my slouch in the chair, "I said, 'Fine with me, Professor Umbridge'."

"Hmm… I think-" she began before the door slammed open and in strode someone I had assumed to be the meek and scrawny Harry Potter but… he wasn't.

Harry's body slid around the door with cool impassiveness written in his gleaming green eyes. He looked so different from the boy I had seen the day before, he looked taller, stronger, less scrawny and more lean. My mind flashed with one thought – delicious.

His eyes settled on me and something flared in his eyes, a presence so weak it was only a whisper of its true potential but it was there nonetheless.

He smiled at me, dropping into the seat next to me under Umbridge's heavy stare. I closed my eyes as his pure, masculine scent reached my nose and I murmured my pleasure as I drowned in the heaven that was Harry.

His green eyes darkened and I could have sworn I heard him let out a low guttural purr, far too low for human ears to hear. My creature forced her way to just below the surface, purring her own reply, leaving me oblivious to Umbridge and her barking, or croaking of orders.

I watched as a tantalising blush crept up Harry's cheeks, only noticeable with my enhanced sight. My creature purred once more, one single but earth-changing word rising from the depths of my mind.

_Mate…_

**I am so sorry for the delay in getting you this chapter but everything got in the way. I also apologise for how short it is but this is where stopping felt right to me. The next one shouldn't be too long, I hope… Keep reviewing, they mean the world to me! They have kept me updating and writing for you. So, review me please! They all inspire me beyond belief. Can I get at least fifteen reviews for this one? Please? **

**I want to thank all my loyal reviewers; you mean the world to me! Tell me what you thought of Daphne being the pursuer in this fanfic. I need your opinions desperately. So, review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Flying and Umbridge Issues

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**WARNING: Minor swearing this chapter. Don't like it, don't read it. Nothing stronger than b****, though. Also, some mention of blood quills and all they entail. **

**There is a long note at the end that will answer the main questions you have all had. I have individually replied to everyone who reviewed after I posted the last chapter, it took forever so have the courtesy to read my reply if you even reviewed last time.**

**NOTE: This chapter was edited slightly with the help of my awesome beta psxbleem who picked out the spelling mistakes or grammar issues and told me that the POV changes I had originally included had "all the elegance and subtly of having your brains smashed out with three week old gym shorts tied to a gold bully stick". How great, right?**

**Chapter 6**

I perched on the ledge, gripping it in my fingers as I leant over the edge, staring down at the wall below with barely concealed anticipation boiling in my stomach. My wings fluttered just beneath the surface of my back, ready to burst forth. A smile worked its way onto my face as the breeze rustled through my mane of hair, tickling me slightly.

With a slightly playful growl I launched myself into the sky with abandon, relishing the feel of the wind flowing over me like a second skin. As I started to descend towards the ground several metres below me, I contracted my shoulder and back muscles and with a flurry of feathers, I was flying.

My wings flapped away on my back, a constant motion that lulled me into a sense of security as I flew through the night sky.

My mind flew back to the events of the evening as I relived them once again.

_His green eyes darkened and I could have sworn I heard him let out a low guttural purr, far too low for human ears to hear. My creature forced her way to just below the surface, purring her own reply, leaving me oblivious to Umbridge and her barking, or croaking of orders. _

_I watched as a tantalising blush crept up Harry's cheeks, only noticeable with my enhanced sight. My creature purred once more, one single but earth-changing word rising from the depths of my mind._

Mate…

_He sighed long and low before Umbridge drew his attention from me with her faux cough, "Hem, Hem." I growled slightly in frustration before narrowing my eyes at my Defence Professor. "You both understand why what you did was wrong, yes?" she asked needlessly, here sugary sweet tone putting me on edge. _

"_Yes, Professor Umbridge," we agreed sycophantically, our voices flat._

"_No, that simply won't do. Harry, do you understand why what you did was wrong? Torturing a fellow student and Draco Malfoy, nonetheless…. Tsk, tsk." _

_Harry gritted his teeth in anger as he glared up at her through his circular spectacles, "I understand, Professor."_

_She simpered at him, "Good, Mr Potter, good." She turned to stare at me, her lip curling in disgust, "Half- Miss Greengrass, do you understand why you're here?" _

"_Yes," I ground out through my teeth, my mind spinning as I thought of the multitude of ways I could have her eliminated with Harry mine for the taking. _

"_Yes… what, Miss Greengrass?" she asked, her eyes far too wide to pass as innocent. _

"_Yes, Professor," I spat out venomously._

_She tutted again, "Miss Greengrass, that attitude does not befit someone of your family's stature." She smirked suddenly before adding, "Then again, maybe it fits you and your- _bloodline_, perfectly. Never less, I won't tolerate it."_

_I smirked up at her and using every bit of talent for lying and sucking up I had, said, "I apologise, Professor. I am rather tired after such a long week. Forgive me if my weariness affects my temper." I laid it on thick and saw even Harry give me a look of begrudging respect. One that Umbridge saw, to my displeasure._

"_Now, Mr Potter, today you must write the line 'I must not hurt others', a change from the norm, yes?" she simpered again. She watched as he began his lines with a hiss of discomfort, my inner creature roaring her disapproval and want for revenge._

_She turned towards me, seeing my thinly veiled hate and bloodlust, "Miss Greengrass, your line for today is, 'I must not wander the castle', write until it sinks in." _

_I growled quietly to myself, before picking up the blood quill and writing the line carefully. The flash of pain on my hand was instantaneous and I hissed lowly as the words I had written cut into the back of my hand. I grunted, continuing on. My eyes drifted to Harry as he wrote his lines, the cuts of long forgotten lines scarring the hand I could see, as well as the new blood of the line 'I must not hurt others' running down his hand._

_My vision tinted red as I watched a single trickle of blood make its way down the back of his hand, stopping at his wrist. Umbridge coughed, "Hem, hem…" _

_We both snapped our heads up, glaring at the toady woman, a growl starting in my throat again. She smiled falsely, "Brilliant, Mr Potter, be sure you don't forget." She dismissed him and he left the room after sparing me an uneasy glance. _

_Umbridge glared down at me, furiously. "Half-breed," she spat savagely. "You're nothing but a plague on the Ministry of Magic! A taint to the great wizards and witches who rule this country! A blemish on your otherwise spotless family tree! I will be watching, Miss Greengrass," she sneered, "don't think I won't." She turned, placing her pudgy hands on the desk, her back to me, "Now, leave!"_

_I snarled at her, thinking in that moment how easy it would be to end her life, to kill her quickly. But the thought of emerald green eyes cleared the red that had been clouding my vision, allowing me to hear Umbridge's irate, "Get out, you half-breed!" _

A squawk brought me back to the present as another form joined me in the sky, a skeletal horse with skin the colour of the night, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the darkness. It cawed again, flying around me in a mirror of the acrobatics I had been doing moments before.

I laughed, the creature joining me in my joy with a cry of its own, trying to mirror the same tones I used.

"Oh, so you want to play, do you?" I asked the creature, being rewarded by a squawk as it fluttered around. I chuckled, "Ready? Set. Go." I dove towards the forest below me, being followed by the creature as it battled to keep up with me. I smirked, twirling upwards through the air with the horse following. We levelled out, keeping together as we both flapped our wings in time. We stayed there suspended in time for a moment before it looked to the east suddenly, a small cry coming from its mouth. I followed its line of sight, only for my eyes to meet the spectacle of the sunrise gradually lighting up the horizon. A caw from the skeletal horse drew my eyes back to it, with a chuff the creature butted against my hand before swooping back down into the depths of the forest, disappearing out of sight.

I flew back to the castle, slipping in the window and retracting my wings with only minor difficulty but found I felt almost naked without them out and on display. I pulled off my ragged clothes, worn from a night of aerial acrobatics and the initial release of my wings before climbing into bed to sleep until I was dragged from my bed.

As luck may have it, I was left to sleep blissfully for several hours but this did very little good as I was awoken roughly by a pug-like face above mine, staring at me.

"Argh!" I shrieked before jumping out of bed like my ass was on fire. My beast yowled, striking a fit inside me as she assessed the danger of the situation before me. I panted as I fought to maintain my calm.

A scoffing was heard from across my dormitory as Pansy glared at me, "Geez, Daph… That was hardly necessary, don't you think?"

I resisted the urge to snarl at her, my hands clenching with my rage. My voice was rough as I spat, "You were the one who caused it! Never- Never do that again! Do you hear me? Never!"

She screeched, "I can't believe you, Daphne!" she scrunched up her face as she looked at me before shaking her head and storming out of the room.

I growled to myself, my hands sliding into my hair of their own volition before tugging sharply. I knew, rationally, that I was overreacting but that didn't make my temper and newly inherited creature calm. Felt like I was standing in the middle of a tempest, getting pulled every which way in a mad bid for control. I was stranded at sea, awash with my own turbulent emotions. I sat on my bed quickly before beginning to write all my garbled thoughts and feelings on a sheet of parchment. The verbal diarrhoea kept going as I wrote away my pain. I sat back with a sigh, my hands wrapping around my locks as I closed my eyes in utter desolation.

A cough had me turning towards the door to see Millie standing there sheepishly, her body practically crying demureness, "Uh… Am I interrupting?" My hands untangled themselves from my hair as I looked at her.

I coughed awkwardly, attempting a smile I assured her, "No, no. Of course not, Millie. Uh… So, what did you need?"

She smiled at me, hers much more sincere as she said, "Nothing in particular… I just wanted to see if you're okay. Pansy… She's downstairs ranting and raving about you to anyone who'll sit still long enough to hear about how 'rude' and 'uncouth' you are." She fidgeted with her sleeves before looking up to meet my eyes again, "Um… if you don't want to talk to me about it, I completely understand-"

"No!" I cried out, my hand jumping as if to grab her before better sense took over, stopping the movement. "I don't want you to leave, Millie. I'm just-t a bit tired, I think."

Concern flooded her soft features, "Are you okay, Daphne? Are your family okay?" Her eyes green wide as she began to panic, "Is it Blaise? Is it your aunt? Is Selene okay?"

"Whoa, whoa! Millie, calm down! My family are fine, as far as I know. I'm just feeling a little under the weather at the moment."

"Oh," she sighed, taking her first deep breath since walking in our dormitory, "that's a relief then." She came in, sitting at the end of my bed to look at me seriously, "As long as you're okay, that's what matters. You do know that if you ever just want to talk, you can come to me, right?"

"Yes, I know," I assured her, before it was my turn to look concernedly at her, "Are you okay though, Millie? I mean, I know you haven't had the easiest time of it, particularly with those-" I cut myself off, before whispering lowly, "Muggle boys..."

Her façade cracked slightly as she looked at me with pain in her eyes, "Eh… I'm okay. Tough as old boots, you might say."

I sighed, "Millicent Bulstrode, I have known you for many, many years – long enough to know when you're lying. Tell me about it."

And, like that, the façade of Millicent Bulstrode shattered, leaving her crying her eyes out, wrapped in my arms.

The next day brought school once more but I found myself enjoying it more now, I'd been an avid learner before but I was taking every opportunity I could now to get just that little bit closer to Harry - bumping into him in the hallway, going to lessons at the same time, inching closer during lesson time. It all helped to satisfy my inner Succubus' wants regarding him.

But physical proximity wasn't the only thing she craved; I could feel her desire to understand too, her yearning to know why he was like he was. She wanted to know exactly what made Harry James Potter tick, and I did too.

There was a part of me – Daphne, the Slytherin witch – that wanted to know him in intimate detail. That wanted and craved understanding about the apparent Saviour of the wizarding world. I felt a need within that had me wanting to speak to him, about anything and everything, in great detail. He could want to discuss cauldron thickness for hours on end and I would gladly sit beside him and listen through it all. And that was just me, the witch. The succubus within me had her own ideas about it all, she had a desperate thirst to get closer to him in every way possible, to live closer, to sleep closer – it all spurred on my inner demon.

I watched him from afar in a bid to settle myself and regain some semblance of control once more but I struggled with it. Whatever I did just wasn't close enough, nothing was. I wanted to crawl inside his head and learn about him. That was the level my depravity had got to before I finally lost the will power to control my demon and cornered him at the end of out last lesson of the day.

We were alone, not a Gryffindor or Slytherin in sight. There wasn't even a ghost to be seen roving the halls.

"Hello, Harry."

My voice sent his heart on the fritz and he looked up to watch me as I strode towards him. The sight of his emerald eyes took my breath away. The hitch in his breath told me the feeling was mutual as it felt like he was looking into my soul.

His eyes roved my body in a way that left me reeling with want for more. He couldn't help himself it seemed as his eyes lingered just slightly too long where they shouldn't. Not that I minded of course. I returned the favour more than equally as my own eyes looked him over, my demon purring in appreciation like a cat in heat.

I chuckled watching as his green eyes widened and darted up to meet my own dreary brown ones. I let him see the pride I felt at his obvious appraisal; he was about as subtle as a Quaffle to the face it seemed.

He ruffled his hair mindlessly, "Uh… Hi, uh, Daphne, right?"

I couldn't control how I preened at his word, the spark that zinged through me as I heard him utter my name for the first time, watching his lips as they formed the word. My inner beast purred and felt an answering shadow rise, lingering in Harry's eyes.

"So, uh… How are you?" he asked before cringing slightly at the question.

I laughed freely at how awkward he was, it was so… adorable almost. I smiled as winsomely as I could, "I'm fine Harry. Actually, I was wondering if you could help me…"

"With what?" he asked enthusiastically before his brain caught up with his mouth and heat rose in his cheeks. "I-I mean, what can I do to help?"

I smirked at him, "I need help with Defence, Harry. And everyone knows you're the best at that having fought You-Know-Who so many times and won." His blush told me enough about how little he was paid compliments. I resolved then to do all I could to change that.

He looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't know that I'd be much help really…"

I shrugged him off automatically, "Nonsense, you're brilliant, Harry." I smiled alluringly watching as his eyes followed my every move. "Look, Umbridge can't teach this, and I need your help." I widened my eyes, pulling fourth my inner thespian as I made my eyes watery. It worked a treat, disarming him just as well as an _Expelliarmus. _"Please, Harry. I promise not to be too much of a bother."

"No, no, no," he argued fiercely, "It's not that, Daphne. You're no bother at all-"

"Great," I said, my smile back in place and the tears long gone, "Meet me in the library tomorrow after class. Say, around five?"

He could only nod dumbly as I spun on my heel and strutted off down the corridor, imitating the models I had seen, putting just that little bit more of a swing in my hips. Just before turning the corner, I looked him right in the eye and winked playfully, a pouty smirk on my face before I disappeared from his sight, feeling his eyes as they fruitlessly tried to follow.

"Well, well, well, Harry… What have you got yourself into now?" I heard him mumble; all the while thinking I'd just played him so good his ancestors were dizzy. But I was Daphne Greengrass and that was how I rolled.

**In a small flat in London… **

The fire in the living room lit up in a roar of flames, startling the woman out of reading. As she looked up to meet the currently glowing eyes of none other than Professor Severus Snape, she dropped the book on the end table, sending objects scattering to the floor, and crouched in front of the fire, meeting his eyes, "What is it, Severus?"

His face turned pained as he met her wide eyes, "Dolores Umbridge knows."

"Knows what?" she asked, her face creased with confusion and worry.

He sighed in frustration, a hand appearing as he rubbed his forehead, "That blasted woman knows of Daphne's inheritance!"

The woman froze as the meaning of his words finally hit home and she found herself incapable of speech for a moment before indignation and fury hit her with all the power of a Muggle steamroller.

"How does that- that- _bitch_ know about Daphne?" she demanded, her eyes lighting with Fury as her creature rattled the bars on her cage within at the potential threat to something she deemed to be hers.

He sneered at me, his face cold and calculating as he debated her intelligence, "How do you think, you blithering idiot? Through her ministry contacts! The ministry have several self-updating scrolls that denote things of importance like blood purity and creature status for example." He pressed a hand to his face once more, "She knows what Daphne is and that signifies she is not a woman to be trifled with."

The woman sighed in annoyance, growling lowly under her breath as she asked, "How can I fix this, Severus?"

He raised an eyebrow at her before replying easily, like they were discussing something as trivial as the weather, "Kill her, Selene."

**Ooh… cliff-hanger. What did you all think of this chapter? Good, bad, sad – what? I need to know! The general consensus has been that you all love it and want more but I am replying to all of you all the same. **

**Now, just a note, there will be a poll on my profile after this regarding Umbridge, the professor we all hate- or, at least, I hate. Do you want her to be killed off? Yes? No? I don't mind? Not really? Give me your opinions! I need them to decide how this story will go! I had originally decided to keep that in canon but I'm not against getting rid of her at all! But if I did, would you want some details on it, or would you rather it be just one of those fade to black moments? Would you prefer it to be a one-shot on the side of this? Let me know in your reviews!**

**Rating – that is another thing I want feedback on. Do you think it's too much for a T rating? Would M suit it better? If anyone ever thinks this story rating should go up, tell me but give me an actual reason too! There will be no lemons at all! I can promise that right now. Sorry if it disappoints anyone but that is how this will be. I don't want this to just be PWP. Sorry, again.**

**Ceo55 – **Thanks for the compliments. I haven't read that story yet, hope mine isn't similar. Keep reading.

**Hivedragon – **You haven't missed anything, the end of this chapter explains it. Vote on my poll! Glad you like the different kind of twist on my story, hope you keep enjoying it.

**Area808code – **Thrilled that you like my writing. Nobody has really complimented that so far! It means the world to me that you'd specifically pick out bits you like. Enjoy this chapter!

**Lord Purity – **I'm so happy you're enjoying this, what do you mean by a 'Super Beast Harry' fic? I'd like to know so I can avoid doing that.

**Kairan1979 – **I love that idea; give me your feedback on Umbridge.

**WinterRain36 – **That means a lot to me. The support spurs me on to keep writing. Enjoy this chapter!

**Linda (Anon) – **I believe this chapter answers your question. Thanks for the review.

**DaphneandBellatrixPotter – **I'm glad you like the story, keep reviewing!

**Fallen-Ryu – **I love the way you relate to my characters (Or, JKR's) and it inspires me to write more or in a different way. The new view point you offer is brilliant, thank you. Also, thanks for reviewing so often.

**MagicSilver7081 – **This chapter is longer and the pace is slowing slightly know I think. They aren't going to instantly fall head over heels and be ousted as a couple just yet. Keep giving me your opinion on pace, I don't want to rush through this but I don't want to drag it out either…

**Beta3821 – **Ah… And you say it's too slow! I can't win! I'm trying to keep this realistic, they aren't going to magically get over any problems and become a couple straight away but I think the creature inheritance will naturally speed up their feelings. Give me your opinions in the reviews.

**LordXeenTheGreat – **I know, right? I figured it was a quirky way of discovering the person you are going to be bonded to eternity with. Keep reading, the feedback is brilliant!

**Rb2312 – **Thanks, Hermione should come round in a couple chapters I hope. Definite bookworm mode incoming, though. As for his little scar problem, keep tuned.

**Southern-reader – **I don't write lemons. If you think this story needs to go up a rating, tell me and I will change it. The scene you mentioned has been explained, and no, the girl didn't die.

**Highlander348 - ** Love that idea so much. As you know now, Daphne can fly and she has - briefly – but I will probably do that again at some point. Harry won't become an Adonis overnight so don't worry about that. And the sixth year issue was a mistake on my part that I have corrected back in the first chapter. They are in fifth year.

**Charles- the-Hammer - **Thanks for the compliment, enjoy the chapter.

**Kurama's final nightmare – **Here's a new chapter!

**Mr. Johnsen – **That mistake has been corrected, they are in fifth year.

**Alrius – **Thank you very much.

**Fat ppl are harder to kidnap – **First off, interesting name. Secondly, Hermione won't be bashed but I don't think she'd natural accept something like this so easily. She will come round, eventually but until than I suppose you could say she will be 'bashed' a bit.

**mliyanagamage**** – **Sorry for the wait, keep reading. Life is just a bit chaotic at the minute.

**Psxbleem – **Your comment about chapter length boosted my spirits and helped me to write this one. It means a lot. I can definitely see the conflict wearing on Daphne but she'll pull through, she's stubborn that way. You're one of a few people to comment positively on Snape being an Incubus, it means a lot to me as a writer that I'm not clearly hated by all.

** . .86 – **Thank you very much, enjoy the update.

**LuxEterna1 – **Another new chapter!

**AlsoKnownAsMatt – **Thanks for the words of wisdom, they won't only focus on looks but they do play a part as Daphne and Harry are still only teenagers. He also won't immediately grow overnight. He'll be short for a little while longer. They need time to adjust and acclimatise to each other.

**Currently, this story has 269 follows, 150 favourites, 92 reviews with 18,671 overall views and it had been added to one community – The Motley Collection! This is the first time any of my stories has been added, if you were the one who recommend or suggested… thanks. Thank you very much everyone, for your continued support of this train wreck of a story. **

**A few notes:**

**Vote on my poll**

**Review this story! I'd like over 100 reviews please! It would mean the world.**

**Give me feedback/ideas on anything you like, dislike or would prefer. **

**Think over the rating and give me feedback. **

**Keep reading, Mads.**


	7. Chapter 7: Tears and Kisses

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M (warnings later on for gore, violence and a smidgen of citrus … possibly.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**AN: I may have not been clear, there will be some hints of sex and those themes but nothing explicit – as you have all tried to tell me Daphne is a sex demon, after all.**

**Also, you get some Harry in this chapter!**

**Chapter 7**

I stalked him, his eyes widening in fear. I could smell the delicious scent poring off of him, hovering in the air between us like the finest perfume galleons could buy. I craved that scent, that one so unique and lust-inciting – fear. It appealed to my inner demon and she writhed in pleasure. He froze as my nails grazed his pale cheek as I circled him. His heart was racing itself into a frenzy as a purr rose in my chest.

I leant forward, my lips just lingering on his neck, just enough for him to really _feel _before I pulled back, licking my lips as he stared at me, hunger now joining his sweet, delicious fear. There was a want rising within me to go further, to taste more of all that he offered. My mate, my Harry…

"Daphne!"

I jerked back, out of my trance to blearily look around me. My eyes focussed in on Blaise's smirking face, his eyes daring me to say something. "What?" I asked, fighting the urge to cringe as my voice turned husky in my hunger.

"Really, Daph?" he asked, his eyes glittering in his excitement. When I only raised an eyebrow, daring him to continue he said, "You're seriously lusting after Harry? Harry Potter? Y'know, Pothead, Scarface-"

"-Don't call him that! I shrieked at Blaise, panting for breath as I stared down at him with murder on my mind. _Blood…_

"Merlin, Daphne!" he hissed at me, "What is wrong with you, huh? I understand if you have the hots for Pothe- Potter, but remember, I've been in your life a whole lot longer that he has."

I glared at him but before I could retort, Madame Pince came scuttling round the corner irately, "Miss Greengrass! Never in all my years did I think it would be you causing disruption in my library! Out! Out with you!"

I nodded, throwing my things into my bag before leaving the library with a flare of my school robes. I ran straight into a mass of untameable curls more commonly known as Hermione Granger. She looked up at me passively, "Greengrass."

My lips tilted into a sneer before I could stop myself, "Granger."

Her eyes flared at my tone before she battled it down, "How are you doing on the Transfiguration essay McGonagall assigned?" she asked feigning interest apathetically.

"Completed," was all I told her. My brows lowered of their own accord as I stared down at her, "Look Granger, you do not care for me and I most definitely do not care for you! You are snobbish and annoying and look down on everything that a Slytherin stands for! I see no reason to attempt to be civil with you-"

"What about me?" a voice like an angel's asked, the words sounding all wrong on his tongue as I looked to Harry with sad eyes, "Am I not your friend, Daphne?"

"Of course you are, Harry!" I said rushing to him in attempt to soothe his melancholy.

His lips tilted in a silent snarl, his face aggressive, "Oh, really? Then why are you arguing with Hermione, then? Why argue with one of my best friends? I mean, if I was really your friend, you'd try and get along with those I consider family, right?" His eyes turned pleading after a moment, "Right, Daphne?"

"Of course," I whispered, my eyes watering slightly, making his form go blurry.

"It sure doesn't seem like it with the way you were acting just then." He stormed off leaving my alone in the hall with Granger staring at me with distrust in her eyes.

"Just say it already, Granger."

"Say what?" she asked with a tremble in her voice that she just couldn't hide.

"You know what." My hands tugged on my hair again in effort to gain lucidity once more, to clear the haze that had settled over me like a thick fog that clouded my mind and inhibitions.

"I assure you, Daphne. I don't know what you expect me to say but I know that our arguing is hurting Harry and I can't stand for this any longer." Her voice sounded like she was talking to herself more than me at this point. Life seemed to lose meaning for a moment, my creature wanting the scream in despair at our relationship with Harry and the state it was now in. "Harry cares for you, Daphne and like it or not, he is my brother. He means the world to me, so… if you hurt him, I will end you." She forced my eyes to meet hers, ensuring I understood her poorly veiled threat that gilded her words. "Do we have an accord, Miss Greengrass?"

I nodded numbly, "We have an accord, Miss Granger."

"Good," was all she said as she strutted off into the library.

I breathed in deeply before heading down into the dungeons, past the common rooms before reaching the potions classroom. I slipped in the door, startling Professor Snape, though he would never admit such a thing.

"What do you want, Greengrass?" he asked in a tone of utter boredom as he arched a brow, looking at me through emotionless black eyes.

"I want to see my aunt."

"Girl," he drawled slowly, "You cannot simply _demand _to see her whenever you want. Give me a good reason-"

"Professor, I need to ask my aunt about the female menstrual-" I said before he cut me off with a wave of a potion-stained hand.

"Gah! Shut up, you quarrelsome harpy!" He sighed, "I will go contact, Selene."

Within ten minutes my aunt was barrelling into the unused classroom like a herd of hippogriffs were chasing behind her, "Daphne!" Her hands clamped down on her shoulders as her instincts took over and she sniffed me carefully, checking thoroughly for anything malicious.

"Really, Aunt Selene-" I tried to tell her, batting at her futilely. She snarled, baring her canines at me in warning before continuing her task of checking me for injury or sickness.

She looked at me with feral eyes and slightly bared teeth, "You do not appear harmed but the scent on you is of sadness and…" Her eyes grew unfocused before she murmured, "Harry."

I growled loudly, the sound quaking out from my chest as I fought the urge to go for her jugular for daring to say my mate's name. _Her, _an unmated female Succubus!

"Now, now, Daphne," my aunt chastised me gently; her hands started stroking my hair of their own volition as I fought to calm my monster and myself.

"I'm sorry," I rasped, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"It's fine," she said, leading me to the chaise in the next room, "Now, what happened?"

I took a deep breath before spilling my story, all of it in all its glory for her to see and pass judgement on.

She sat in silence afterwards, pondering all I had said. I felt myself grow sombre as I slipped into my memories of the first 'study session' I had with Harry two weeks ago, just before Umbridge was named Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

_He looked nervous when I walked into the library, his eyes lingering just too long on my body for me not to notice. He grinned sheepishly, a light blush on his face as he croaked out a welcome to me, inviting me to sit with him at the study table he'd staked out for us. _

"_So," he stuttered out uncertainly, running a hand through his hair, "What do you want to learn, Daphne?" _

_I smirked at him, listening to his heartbeat race within his chest as he watched me. I leant forward, my robes showcasing my assets for his appraisal, I ran my tongue over my lips as if I was considering before meeting his eyes once again, "Can you teach me… uh… the summoning charm?" He watched me keenly, "I saw you using it during the First Task last year, during the Tri-Wizard Tournament." _

"_Sure," he agreed before putting a quill on the desk in front of us. "Say accio, and use these wand motions: swish and flick. Try it."_

_I copied his instruction, deliberately messing it up. Harry smiled at me, "That was a really good try, Daphne. Try it more like this," he said, showing me himself._

_I smiled, copying him exactly this time._

_He smiled brilliantly, "That's perfect, Daphne." _

_We sat in silence for a moment before I said, "It's because I had such a good teacher. Thank you, Harry." _

_We delved into discussion head first, talking about anything and everything. By the time we realised how late it was, we had missed dinner and it was very nearly curfew. _

"_I had a good time, Harry," I told him honestly._

"_Me, too. Would you be interested in 'studying' again sometime?" he asked surprising me, I had been so sure that I would have to ask him about a next time. Nonetheless, I agreed with him. It was a very pleasant surprise._

My aunt touch my shoulder brought me crashing back to Earth, she smiled at me and watched with careful eyes in case I should turn on her.

"Daphne, don't look so dejected. Harry-" she stopped when I growled, waiting for me to reign in my demon, "Harry is a kind boy; I'm sure he bears you no ill will. He understands who you are, Daphne. It's all instinct, it doesn't matter that he's not an Incubus yet, he will be."

"How does that happen? How does he become an Incubus? "I found myself asking her with wide eyes.

She paused, pursing her lips in thought and I saw the woman that could have every man she wanted, the woman who was strong and fearless whilst also being underhanded and sneaky. "His body starts it off and your presence helps push it along as well. Sex is obviously the final step and the infusion of your DNA into him via your saliva shows him subconsciously that he has a mate to protect and that brings about the first change." I frowned up at her, my mind racing over the process, committing it to memory. She carried on, "I wouldn't worry too much about Harry, darling. He needs time to calm down, the changes are pushing him into a kind of super puberty meaning his emotions are on a hair-trigger and the slightest thing could set him off. He will love you one day soon if he doesn't already. Give him time, then reconcile with him. You belong together, nothing will change that."

I watched as her face grew stony, "There is something I must tell you, Daphne. Umbridge knows of your creature status."

"I know," my response must have shocked her as she gawped for a moment before snapping her jaw shut as her faculties returned to her. "Umbridge called me a 'half-breed'."

Her face was angry when she said, "She has no right to say that to you." Her nails were lengthening as she spoke forming talons; the smell of blood reached my nose when she clenched her fists.

I gently prised her hand open, watching as the wounds knitted back together slowly, "It's alright. I'm okay, you're okay and Harry's okay. Don't worry, Selene."

She breathed shallowly, "I know, but Daphne… Snape and I were speaking and we think we've come up with a solution to the Umbridge problem." She was watching me carefully so I made sure to give nothing away on my face.

"What?"

She cast a silencing charm discreetly, at my look she clarified, "Just in case there are unwelcome ears." She bit her lip before speaking, "Daphne, we think it would be best to kill her. Get her out of the way and stop her from hurting you or our family." When I showed a less than stellar reaction she continued on, "Think of Harry, he could be put in unnecessary danger because of that- that Toad! She holds the cards that could kill us all – she could condemn our family and have us burnt at the stake." By the end of her tirade, she was panting for air and a tear fell down her face, leaving a shimmering trail. "Please, Daphne…"

"Why not just leave her?" I couldn't help but ask. "Succubi aren't dark creatures-"

"Daphne, Daphne, sometimes I forget just how young you are. Just because we aren't Dark, doesn't mean the Ministry doesn't think we are or doesn't classify I us that way. We are treated just like the werewolves; we are dark creatures to the public, just like they are. We are scorned and mocked, just like they are." She carried on, looking at me fiercely, "They fear the unknown. That is why Muggles are not accepted, that is why vampires and werewolves and centaurs and Succubi and Incubi and all manner of other creatures are considered little more than animals. They fear us, Daphne."

All was silent as we both stared at each other, knowing that the words could never be unsaid, I cleared my throat, "What should we do?" I played with the necklace around my neck, noticing absently its dull colour before meeting my Aunt's eyes. "What should we do about Umbridge?"

Selene smirked looking every bit the Slytherin I knew she was, "I was thinking a traditional snatch and grab." I raised a brow, knowing instinctually there was more. "Followed by an old school interrogation session. Sound good?"

I smirked, "Definitely." She indirectly threatened Harry, I was going to go for her jugular and keep on her until I watched the life fade from her eyes.

* * *

I watched as Umbridge stalked down between the desks towards me, "Detention, Mr Potter!" I watched as the class' eyes collectively widened. I caught Daphne staring at me with worry in her brown eyes. Those eyes…

Hermione piped up beside me, "Professor Umbridge, what for?"

Her lips thinned into a sneer and her protruding eyes bulged further, as she said in a voice as sweet as bleach, "Disrespect in my classroom and telling lies."

I heard a whisper to my left and turned just in time to see a swarm of paper birds fly into the sky, dive-bombing Umbridge and flying in circles around her. The toad-woman was quick to incinerate them all and picked one up. The entire class watched as she lifted it close to her face for inspection where it exploded in a scatter of sparkles that formed letters in the air above her: 'Beware, Umbridge of things that lurk in the dark…'

She turned a startling shade of violet as she pulled Daphne from her chair, pudgy fingers digging in her arms, "You Half- insolent child! I will not tolerate this kind of insubordination! You will be joining Mr Potter tonight in detention."

I slammed my chair back, standing to meet the irate Professor Umbitch, "Professor, do you not think you are jumping to conclusions-"

"Silence!" Umbridge roared, though it did not have the desired effect as she resembled a squalling child more than she did the lion of my house. She looked between Daphne and I with murder in her eyes, "Mr Potter, Miss Greengrass, I have _had _it with your unruliness, I won't stand for it-"

"Sit down then," Daphne said coolly, her lips pursed with distaste and her eyebrows arched as she look at Umbridge with an abhorrence evident in her aristocratic features borne from generations of pureblood snobbery. And it turned me on beyond my own belief. That one expression was enough to tent my pants and leave me wanting to beg her for more. I tried to discreetly button my robes and make sure the 'other' me was covered. The smirk that quirked Daphne's crimson lips told me I was not successful in my endeavours but as she was the only one that seemed to notice, I wasn't too embarrassed.

Umbridge shrieked wordlessly, successfully drawing my attention back to her as her violet face darkened a shade and took on a more violent hue, "Do you want another detention? Is that it, then? Do you get a 'kick' out of breaking the _rules_?"

Daphne surprised me by interjecting with cold brown eyes narrowed on Umbridge as if she were a parasite under a microscope, "Do your worst, Professor but believe me… You will never be able to take it any further. Enjoy your power trip whilst it lasts.

"Detention!" Umbridge cried, pointing a pudgy finger towards Daphne's face.

I tried to speak, "Professor-"

She cut me off as she spun on her tiny pink heels to glare at me, "Detention to you as well, Potter!" She panted for breath as Daphne and I sat down, sneaking looks to each other occasionally. Umbridge surveyed the room, her bulging eyes lingering slightly too long on Daphne and me for my taste, "Now, how many detentions was that? Can anyone tell me?"

Crabbe raised his chubby hand, "Two each?"

We all gaped at him as Umbridge applauded him before crying out, "Twenty points to Slytherin!"

Daphne groaned under her breath, running her hand over face as she glared daggers at Crabbe's unprotected back, she leant forward to whisper something as soon as Umbridge resumed her 'teaching', taking evident delight in the way the larger boy paled, going slightly green if I looked at him in the right light.

I pulled Daphne into an alcove as she left the classroom, flinching as her wand was placed firmly under my chin. She smirked up at me, "Naughty, naughty, Harry. You shouldn't take a girl by surprise, you might bite off more than you can chew."

I laughed uneasily, only relaxing when she pushed the wand into the wand holder up her sleeve. She blinked up at me innocently through her curls of brown hair, "What did you want, Harry?"

I smiled, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand, "Well, I was going to apologise. About the other day. I mean- I mean- I'm sorry I got kind of annoyed. I mean I had no right to be upset. I- You… But- Uh… We-"

She cut me off, resting a perfectly manicured finger on my lips, stopping the rambling that had spilled from my mouth uncontrollably. She smirked, leaning in towards me. I rejoiced internally as I saw we were now almost equal in height compared to a month ago where she still towered over me. I watched her lips as they spoke, unconsciously licking my own.

I felt those very same lips caress my ear as she whispered, making me shiver slightly, "Harry, I get it. You're sorry. If it means so much to you, just know that I forgive you."

She pulled back to look into my eyes once more, so close I could feel her breath on my face as our noses touched slightly at the tip.

Without a word she pressed forward, locking her lips on mine. My hands slid around her back, pulling her closer as my eyes slid shut on their own. I lost myself in the sensations she evoked within me, feeling the tent she caused earlier in class to come raging back with renewed enthusiasm. She nibbled my bottom lip causing me to gasp and suddenly her tongue was in my mouth, duelling with my own. I fought for dominance, her hands sliding into my already messy hair, tugging just enough for me to _really_ feel as I moaned, pulling her even closer to me. Her nails grazed my scalp and I pulled away to pant in the oxygen my body had been starved of. But that didn't stop Daphne as she trailed her lips to my neck, licking and sucking away like I was a Sugar Quill made especially for her. I moaned, my head falling back against the stone wall of the hidden alcove as she pushed me into the wall with strength far greater than my own in that moment. She pushed the side of my robe aside with eager hands, her lips fastening onto my collar bone as she licked it with relish. When she pulled back, her face was flushed and her eyes were half-lidded as she smirked. Her hair was slightly ruffled and in my opinion, she looked thoroughly shagged. I tried to stop the male ego that rose within me at the sight of Daphne looking like I'd rocked her world.

She stared at me for a moment, her eyes tracing my face before she lurched forward to kiss me full on the mouth once more. I felt some confidence this time round so I wove my fingers in her hair and tugged lightly, pulling her face to my own, bumping noses just slightly with her. I chuckled slightly as I pulled away before leaning in, slightly unsure as I pressed a kiss her pulse point, sucking and biting lightly. When she moaned and wound her fingers tightly into her black scraggly locks, I knew I was doing something right, at least.

When we finally separated, my glasses were askew on my face and my hair was mussed worse than it had ever been but I was thrilled, Daphne's hair was about four times bigger than it had been from my wayward fingers and her lips were slightly swollen and red.

She smiled at me seductively, her chest heaving against the confines of her blouse - a blouse I suddenly wanted to rip from her body. She laughed with me, a happy carefree sound as her hand came up to stroke my cheek, straightening my glasses and smoothing my hair out of my face so she could see into my eyes unhindered.

"Harry James Potter, will you be my boyfriend?" she asked, biting her lip and looking up at me with wide brown eyes that I wanted to drown in.

I smiled at her, ruffling my hair to her annoyance, "Shouldn't I be asking you that, Daphne?" She pouted at me but failed to hide the smile that crept in. "Or are you already trying to tell me that you wear the pants in this relationship?"

She laughed again, wrapping her arms around my shoulders with a smile on her face and lust in her eyes, along with something just slightly different that I couldn't and didn't particularly want to identify, afraid of what I might discover. "Of course, Harry. You should know this by now. I always get what I want."

"And you want me?" I asked with a single raised eyebrow, having finally mastered that skill last summer.

"Are you mocking me?" she asked, playing at being angry. At least, I think she was…

"No," I hurried to assure her. "Just checking your sanity."

She smiled again, her eyes bright, "Just answer me, will you be my boyfriend?"

I scoffed, ruffling her hair, "You don't even have to ask, after snogging like that… I'm yours for life."

She leant up to kiss me once more, just a peck on the lips, "Good."

"Hey, Daphne!" a girl called, peering at us quickly before turning away, a blush on her cheeks.

"Coming, Millie!" Daphne called, straightening her robes and smiling at me apologetically, "Sorry, Harry."

I shrugged, sliding my hands into my pockets, "Don't worry, Daphne."

She pulled her school bag over her shoulder, "See you around?"

"Count on it."

I watched as she smiled and sauntered up the stairs taking pride in the way her arse sway just _so_, making me hot and bothered. "Minx…" I mumbled under my breath.

She spun on her heel to face me with a teasing smile, "I heard that," before walking away with her friend, occasionally stealing glances back at me. I smiled to myself, life wasn't all so bad, then.

**Complete! Some tension in this one! Not all will be perfect in the world of Daphne and Harry, but hey, they kissed! For your reviews, I am going through and replying by PM because someone didn't like me replying at the end of the chapter. **

**On another note, there is a new poll up about whom you want to kill Umbridge. Ultimately, I will decide but I will take your opinions into account.**

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**Vote on my poll.**

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**Currently it has 121 reviews, 172 favourites, 324 follows, 3 community addings and 25,048 views! How brilliant! Keep going! This I my most successful story so far and the only one to go over 100 reviews! I am currently also working on a Blaise/Daphne to help motivate me to write this and provide some comedic relief. If you'd like to know more, ask. It's completely unrelated to Snakes and Souls but I felt like shamelessly self-advertising it. Currently, it's not on , but is it something, you'd like to see?**


	8. Chapter 8: Tattoos and Harry

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.**

**AN: For starters, very, very sorry about the month long break – RL got heavy, friends were bitches and then I got ill. It was like everything has been against me but I am back. The review I got earlier from an anonymous reviewer kicked my pathetic arse into gear. On a brighter note, 'Snakes and Souls' now has a Beta - the amazing psxbleem! The last two chapters have been done as well, nothing too major just making POV swaps a little more subtle and such. Oh, and this chapter is 100% Harry. **

**Chapter 8**

I rolled out of bed with a groan taking all the covers with me and landing in a heap on the floor. I blinked dazedly, my eyes finally zeroing in on my unsuspecting friend as he lazed about under the covers. Why should I be awake when Ron isn't? Now, that just wasn't fair. I had to change that.

I groped blindly for my wand, swishing it with a muttered spell towards Ron. His cry was sweet music to my ears. I think I just enjoyed seeing my friend in pain, I better not tell Dumbledore about that though…

The jeers of Seamus and Dean knocked me from my mental rambling. "Hah! Ron!" Dean cheered, pointing towards where Ron dangled from the ceiling, his striped pyjamas falling away from him.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, his face red as he glared down at me.

"Yes, Ron?" I asked spinning my wand round my finger absently.

"Let me down, you berk!"

I smirked up at him, proud of my handiwork, "Why should I?"

Ron deliberated, his face contorted in rage, "Because I'm strung up like a dead animal, Harry!"

I laughed, "That's not a reason, Ron." When he looked as though he was going to argue again, I muttered the counter-curse, sending him crashing to the floor. When he glared at me, I could do nothing but laugh. The irritation on his face was too comical to not laugh at it. That coupled with his splayed position on the floor had me holding back laughter.

"Feeling okay, Ron?" I asked with a grin, ruffling his hair on my way past to the shower.

The cool jets of water woke me up properly but they did nothing for my wandering mind. Right now, it was wandering to Daphne, more precisely to her long lean legs that went on for miles. _They _were enough to make my hormone riddled brain spin. I could imagine exactly what they felt like, too. _Those _thoughts… they made me pant and sent my heart racing away like a Firebolt broom. There was just something about Daphne, I didn't know quite what it was but it drew me in like nothing else. On paper we were incompatible – she was a leggy, Pureblood princess and I was a vertically challenged Half-blood orphan. On what world were those compatible? Well, this world I suppose… It just goes to show how strong magic is if it means a person of my… _advanced_ _stature_ can score a bird as hot as Daphne.

A banging on the door jolted me back into reality once more; I hurried my shower along with the bellows of my roommates echoing. I swung open the door, sending the three of them crashing back on top of each other. I raised a brow at them when they continued to lay there like idiots, their mouths gaping.

"What?" I asked.

Ron gulped, "Your shoulder, Harry."

"What about it?" I asked again, beginning to wonder if all of them had become mentally challenged during my ten minute shower.

"Dude," Seamus muttered, his Irish lilt drawing out the word. "That is one hell of a tat."

Ron scowled at him before fixing his gaze back on my shoulder with reverence in his slightly sleepy eyes, "Mate, that's not just any tattoo, that beauty right there is a bonding tattoo."

My heart jumped to my throat, my hand reaching for my shoulder automatically feeling nothing out of sorts. When I dared to look myself my stomach dropped to the floor in a heartbeat. There, right on my shoulder was a black tattoo, decorated with ornate runic swirls that twitched on my skin slightly. I poked one experimentally noticing the way it jerked away from my prodding.

A hand slapped mine away, "Don't do that!" Ron admonished, doing a decent impression of Hermione – you know, if you ignored the scraggly ginger hair and misfit boxers.

"Geez Ron, didn't know you were so desperate to cop a feel," I muttered drily. He jumped away from me, his face flaming scarlet as he cursed me to the depths of hell and slammed the bathroom door on his rampage.

I turned to stare down at Seamus and Dean where they still sat on the floor, raising my brow and saying nothing as they sat mute, their eyes still glued to my shoulder.

They grumbled, dropping anything they'd been about to say and going back to their own beds to get changed. I turned away, looking down at my new tattoo with interest. Well, no one can say my life isn't interesting but seriously, why me? What had I done at birth that made whatever divine force there is out there hate me so badly? Why? I was already Harry _bloody _Potter! The-Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Fucking-Die! The one plus side was Daphne who, in all her infinite divinity, had chosen me to bestow her affections on – who was I to complain about having a sex goddess at my beck and call? Or, not…. She'd probably kick my arse if she knew I'd even thought that. Pureblood princess weren't at anyone's beck and call. They served no one but themselves- If anything _I _was probably her servant, but I didn't want to dwell on that. She'd only asked me out yesterday, I shouldn't rush things.

I dressed in a hurry, throwing my robes on before sprinting out of the door. My stomach was roaring for food and at the moment the only thing between breakfast and me was the distance between my dorms and the Great Hall. I bowled over a girl in one of the younger years barely stopping to right her before jogging on. Her hand on my clothes pulled me to a stop unexpectedly. So unexpected that I turned to face her and stared her down, wordlessly demanding why she was stopping my quest for breakfast.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly, clutching her hands together nervously.

I grunted my acceptance before curiosity took over and I felt myself ask, "For what?"

"For saving me." She looked at me with beseeching eyes, "-from the _Slytherins_."

I raked my hand through my hair awkwardly as I replied, "You're welcome."

She blushed before giggling and running off back to her friends. I stood still for a moment longer before my stomach's persistence for food won me over and I took off again for the Great Hall where I knew food awaited me. My mind flitted back to when I found her under the Cruciatus in the clutches of my Slytherin enemies. I'd just helped her automatically, she hadn't needed to say thank you but all the same, it felt nice that she had bothered – so many others hadn't but that was the problem when it was an almost daily occurrence. People didn't care to think you wanted a bit of praise for the 'heroics' and it wasn't like I sought praise at all but when your childhood was as messed up as mine, well, praise never hurt.

I relished the House Elves' cooking within seconds of parking my arse at the benches for my House. I ate whatever was in reach, only just realising quite how hungry I was.

A scoff from next to me managed to draw only my eyes from the food in front of me and I started at the sight of the redheaded fourth year that was looking at me in slight disdain. She sniffed delicately, "Merlin Harry, the food won't run away from you, it doesn't need to be guarded. Relax and enjoy the food instead of shoving it down your throat at high speed."

"Sod off, Ginevra," I grunted between bites, my eyes dropping back down to the food I'd somehow managed to heap on my plate in the two seconds I'd been sat down at the table. I heard her irritated shriek as she leant close to me, laying her hand on my shoulder roughly. I winced and pulled away from her, my skin buzzing, lances of pain sparking out from where her hand had been moments before.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked, the picture of feminine concern, her lips pouted slightly and her eyes soft.

Another hand gently touched my shoulder, this one easing the lances of pain that still sparked to life ever few seconds. I looked up to see none other than Daphne standing behind me with concern on her face. Her eyes bored into mine with fire lingering in their depths, "Are you alright, Harry?"

I smiled up at her in reassurance, "I'm fine, Daphne. Right as rain."

She didn't look convinced but conceded sitting down next to me after shoving a Seventh year along the bench with surprising strength. She leant on the table, her eyes riveted on me, "Are you really okay?" she asked softly somehow still managing to make her words sound assertive. "What's wrong?"

I smiled thinly, still eating away at the mountain of food on my plate but without the vigour and desperation that had previously controlled me. "I'm fine. Really, I am."

She pursed her red lips nodding at my words before her eyes lit up slightly, "Walk me to my next lesson?"

My brow furrowed but I nodded anyway in slight bewilderment. She stood gracefully, pulling me up with that same surprising strength and wrapping her arm through mine as she pulled me out of the hall. "Where are we going?" I asked in confusion when it became clear we weren't taking any route I knew of to Transfiguration.

When she pushed me behind a suit of armour I got my answer in the form of her lips suddenly pressing on mine, her body pushing me back into the cold stone wall of the corridor. She moaned lightly, pressing even closer so that not even air could get between our bodies. She clasped her hands to my face and purred low in her throat when my tongue began to map out her mouth. My hands slid themselves straight to her pert arse cheeks finding them to fit _just so_ in my palms making me pull away to pant for air. She still continued her kissing, her hands growing bolder and slipping beneath my uniform to slide along my collar bone and shoulders. I groaned under my breath, pulling her mouth back to mine and crushing her to my chest in an effort to pull her even closer to my heated body.

I felt her hands undoing buttons on my shirt, idly wondering just where my tie had gone before I felt it. Her lips and tongue on my shoulder, more specifically my tattoo. I froze when she pulled back, her face flushed and her eyes slightly glassy. "What is this?" she asked quietly, her voice nearly a husky growl against my skin.

"Listen," I started. "I don't know what it is. It just appeared there this morning, now I know it sounds crazy-"

She pressed a finger to my lips, "It's not crazy but Harry, this is a bonding tattoo. You need to tell a teacher."

"I don't want to," the words sounding distinctly like a whine even to my own ears.

"Harry, bonding tattoos are serious business." She sighed, "If you won't tell a teacher, will you at least tell and show my aunt? If anyone can help you discreetly, it's her."

The steely look in Daphne's eyes told me I had three options.

Number one – tell a teacher.

Number two – tell her aunt.

Number three – find myself a new girlfriend.

I went with the second one, partly out of a reluctance to show any Professor the now squirming tattoo on my shoulder and partly out of curiosity to meet Daphne's aunt.

She smiled happily at me, touching my cheek affectionately before throwing my tie back at me and leading me down the stairs nearby.

A though suddenly occurred to me, "You did that just so you could see my shoulder didn't you?"

"Did what?" she asked with a smirk on her lips letting me know she had understood my words perfectly.

"Snogged me," I clarified.

"You don't really want me to answer that, do you?" her voice was deceptively sweet with just a hint of sting to make you really feel it. I tried to muster up some indignation but my heart wasn't in it. Oh well, such is life. If anyone was going to take advantage of me at least it's Daphne…

She led me straight into the Potions classroom with a familiar ease that didn't settle right with me for some reason but she walked straight through to Snape's personal rooms with no problems whatsoever. His rooms were completely different to how I had expected them to be. Yes, they were dark but it wasn't heavy or oppressive, if anything it was almost comforting like an embrace from a friend, something to feel secure in. Sconces lined the walls providing me enough light to see the room. The furniture was old and slightly worn in places but that just added to the sense of comfort his rooms seemed to radiate and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The idea of Snape- cold, hard-hearted Snape - needing or seeking comfort was beyond my mental capacity this early in the day or any time of day really.

My eyes sought out Daphne where she was crouched beside the fire, throwing a handful of Floo powder in before calling out in a clear voice, "Selene Cole."

Within moments a very beautiful woman, who looked startlingly like Daphne, appeared from within the flames. "Daphne? Daphne? What's going on?"

Daphne seemed to light up at the sight of her aunt, grinning in a way totally different to the smirks or smiles I'd seen on her face in public. "Nothing's wrong, Selene. I was wondering if you could do me a favour and look at Harry's shoulder tattoo? It's-"

"Tattoo?" Selene asked sharply, her eyes piercing and focussed. "What tattoo?"

Daphne cleared her throat, drawing her aunt's attention from Harry back to herself, "It's a bonding tattoo that appeared on him overnight, we just wanted your thoughts on it."

I watched the thoughts flicker across Selene's face before her expression resettled into a mask of carefully schooled neutrality, "Stand back, I'm coming through." We obliged shuffling away before the imposing woman that was Daphne's Aunt Selene stepped through the fireplace and into Snape's dingy personal quarters. She wore fine robes, embellished with decorative flowers and jewels that shone even in the dim light. She was tall- a good few inches above Daphne's height and slightly more than that above mine. My perception that Daphne and I were finally the same height may have been an overstatement I think. She was clearly slightly taller but nobody could blame me for wishfully thinking that, at least in terms of height, I was finally equal to Daphne. The revelation that I wasn't left me feeling slightly deflated and I had to admit, it was intimidating. Selene's eyes locked on me like a hawk and its prey, "Show me then, Mr Potter."

I felt my face flush scarlet but complied nonetheless, drawing my shoulder out of my shirt and into her line of sight. She leant close, examining and prodding the black intricate lines that made up the mysterious tattoo meticulously with untapped knowledge in her deep eyes before nodding to herself and meeting my wide eyes for the first time since she arrived, "It's nothing to worry about, Mr Potter. Would I be correct to assume that Daphne and yourself have entered into a romantic relationship recently?"

I nodded, feeling that flush creep back at her question, barely managing a sheepish nod and a garbled mutter of my assent.

I watched her lips twitch as though she were about to smile before she fought the impulse down, "Very well, if that is all you have need of me for." She turned to Daphne, "I expect more letters from you, Daphne." I frowned at the exchange feeling an outsider in their quiet aside.

"Thank you," I told her sincerely, just as she was about to step into the Floo.

She froze up slightly, her eyes meeting mine once more, "You're welcome, Harry." With that, she disappeared into the fire leaving us in silence.

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about," I told her with a laugh, relieved I wasn't dying or doing something else out of the ordinary.

She just laughed, "We should get going before Snape comes back and finds out we've been in his rooms without his permission."

A dark chuckle had us snapping our heads to the sound's origin. Snape smiled at us coldly and the darkness of his room that was once comforting and familiar became chilly and harsh in an instant leaving me with one barely coherent thought in my head – I was in so much trouble.

**Ta Da! Finished another one! How did we like the Harry POV? I'm considering writing the next one like this too so if you really hate it, let me know now. And this chapter would not be possible without the continued efforts of psxbleem who has sorted through the layers of crap that I usually write to find the decent bits you have all just read. So, thank you! As always, PM if you have questions or anything like that. I will always reply. Sorry that it's been so very long, this is the longest an update had ever taken me and I want to try and make it up to you all in any way I can! Review me with suggestions for how I can make it up to you! 4000+ word chapter? One-shot? Anything?**

**So, please favourite, follow and review this story! Your continued support means the world!**

**Currently there is 152 reviews, 38,658 views, 248 favourites, 450 alerts and it has been added to 4 communities! Stupendous!**

**To give you all some idea of the mysterious mind that betas this work here is something he sent me today:**

_**Hey I just met you,**_

_**And this is crazy,**_

_**But here's my bonding tattoo,**_

_**So snog me maybe?**_

**So a small cyber applause for the brilliant psxbleem!**


	9. Chapter 9: Trouble with Snape

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M **

**Beta: psxbleem – wouldn't have this chapter without him!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling. **

**Chapter 9**

Snape's face was cast in a sinister light, making his already distinguished features stand out harshly in the relief of his sallow face. This was a side of Snape I had never seen before; this was the side of him that thrived with the Dark Lord, relishing the lift of any societal constraints he had been forced to adhere to. This was Severus Snape as the evil and malevolent follower of Lord Voldemort, a side I'd never seen in his classroom where he lorded over everyone. Daphne grasped my hand, tilting her chin up in defiance and meeting his cool and detached stare. I was torn between admiring her gall and questioning her sanity, then again she was interested in dating me – that said all I needed to know about her mental state... But, one thing I had to consider was that she had been raised in a Slytherin Pureblood house, this was probably the norm there where dark magic was practised and encouraged behind closed doors and away from prying eyes.

"Severus," she said, acknowledging his presence with a slight tilt of her head, never once taking her eyes off his menacing form, draped with robes as black as his non-existent soul. He smiled coldly, revealing his teeth in a distinctly predatory manner. It brought me straight back to Daphne's aunt and the way she made me feel like prey beneath her sharp stare. I had no idea where the notion came from but I felt almost disadvantaged, like quarry caught between a pair of warring predators.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass," he drawled acerbically, his voice mocking. "Would either of you care to clarify just _what_ you're doing in here? Last time I checked, these were _my _rooms, not yours."

I opened my mouth to speak but Daphne beat me to it, calmly stepping in front of me to shield me from his stare, "Severus, I had need of your fireplace to contact my aunt." Her words were just daring him to say something and challenge her claims.

He tilted his head in consideration as she stood her ground. I could practically feel his eyes on me, seeing things I wasn't sure I wanted to know about and the way I fought to control myself. Something wasn't right and the queasy feeling in my gut did little to dispel this fact.

"-very well, Miss Greengrass. Run along back to the common room then." My eyes snapped away from the worn chair they'd lingered on, now locked on Snape's cold and stony face. I saw Daphne's back tense before me but then all tension eased out and her voice was almost docile when she spoke, "Okay, Professor. I really must contact my parents; they have to be updated about _recent _developments."

My eyes remained fixed on Daphne long after she'd left the room, leaving me under the watchful and potent eye of Severus Snape. "Hmm," he murmured, beginning a measured walk around me. I felt like I was under inspection, being checked over for defects, like an animal to determine its value. I thought I heard him murmur, "Not long now," at one point but heard nothing afterwards leaving me confused.

"Potter," he said again, bringing me back to earth with a crash. "What are your intentions with Miss Greengrass? _Noble_? _Gentlemanly_?" He scoffed, his brow low making his black eyes darker than they were. "Of course they aren't. Your father certainly didn't pursue Lily Evans with good intentions at heart. He stalked her and humiliated her until she gave in and conceded to his affections.

A growl slipped from my throat unheeded and uncontrollable. I tightened my hands into fists automatically, my nails digging in enough to draw my attention away from Snape, if only slightly.

It could have been a trick of the light, my imagination running wild, but I could have sworn that his eyes shone amber for a moment before he schooled his expression. "You know nothing of my father, _Professor_," I mocked him, Gryffindor courage roaring to life in my veins.

He laughed condescendingly, "Boy, I went to school with your parents. I saw first-hand the mockery he made of your mother. Don't test me, Potter, otherwise you'll find out why my skills are so valued within the Dark Lord's upper circles."

I sneered at him, shaking with my anger, "You didn't know them! I refuse to believe that!"

He glared at me, "You better believe it, Boy."

Pain shot threw me like a freight train, hitting suddenly and leaving me gasping for breath. I felt cold stone beneath my fingers as my muscles quaked and contracted leaving me a mess of nerves and pain. A cool palm rested on my forehead and a murmur of words had my breathing easing and control returning to me once more after the bout of agony I endured. When I opened my eyes all I saw was a dark blur but gradually my sight focussed allowing me the visual of Snape's surprisingly concerned face looking down at me with something akin to pity or sympathy in his deep eyes, "You're free to leave, Potter but, if you are amiable," he paused in consideration, "I have something you may want to see."

I flinched away from him before my mind kicked in enough to process his words. I looked at him suspiciously, my hand grasping my wand, "What would _you_ have that _I _would want to see?"

Snape's lips twitched upward in a mere shadow of a smile, "Patience, Mr. Potter…" He spun on his heel and walked into the other room without another word leaving me to wonder just how common Muggle mental disorders were in wizards – if they were prevalent, I'm pretty sure Snape is bipolar. I just couldn't get my head around the complete personality change that came out of nowhere. One second he was boasting about belonging to the Voldemort's inner circle, next he wants to show me something. If I was honest, I didn't really want to know what Snape was interested in sharing with me. It would probably be hazardous to my health to stay…. Just as I was about to leave Snape came strutting back into the room, his robes billowing about him like a pair of bat wings.

In his skeletal hand was a photo frame, he never said a word to me, just pressed it into my hand for my inspection. I didn't recognise the picture but I knew what it was. It was a graduation photo, the words 'Class of 1978' engraved on the frame in silver. I examined it carefully picking out those I recognised – my mother, father, Remus, Sirius, Pettigrew…. One long finger pointed to someone on the photograph, "Would you believe me if I told you that that was Daphne's mother?"

The woman he pointed to was not the one that I would have picked out, she didn't have the same something that Daphne did…. Her Aunt was actually a lot closer to how I'd have imagined Daphne's mother.

"Where's her Aunt, or is she a few years older?" I asked curiously, I was itching to know more about Daphne's family. Maybe it was because I'd never had one or it could have just been a desire to get to know Daphne better. The latter was plausible, actually. Getting to know those who had raised her would help me to understand her and her Mother and Aunt were as good a place as any to start.

"Selene is actually the younger sibling by three years. A fact she holds over her sister mercilessly, especially when signs of aging became evident," that same bare crease of a smile lingered on his face, nostalgia written plain over his expression. "I've known your mother, Harry, since I was a boy myself. She was smart, leagues above the others in our year…. In some ways, Miss Granger reminds me of her – determined, smart, _proud_." He laughed, "I remember how she hexed anyone who dared to insult her heritage, and they couldn't walk straight for weeks once she was through with them." He looked at me and suddenly the smiling, laughing Snape was gone, replaced once more by a cold, dispassionate clone. "You're free to leave now. Go, it's almost time for classes to start."

I left Snape to his thoughts, rushing off to my first class of what was sure to be an excruciatingly long day. First there was my almost civil conversation with Snape – the guy who habitually scares children daily and is in cohorts with the Noseless One…. Now, I was running dangerously close to being late to Defence against the Dark Arts and as far as I was concerned, Umbitch was going to flay me alive and eat my innards for this dastardly offence.

I arrived just a minute after the door shut on the classroom and I could hear her tinny high pitched discourse calling our names for roll call. "Harry Potter?" I listened as silence fell in the room and the toad woman paused her croaking for a moment, "Mr Potter? Oh, how interesting…. And would someone care to tell me just _where _he is?" I listened as some low murmuring gradually crept in before Umbridge's voice was rising above the din, "What do you mean you don't know where he is?" There was another pause, the murmuring lowering in pitch as I listened at the door. She continued on, glee leaking into her saccharine voice, "Well, if he's not here then he is playing truant and truancy is an offense not taken lightly by the Ministry-"

I couldn't stand it any longer, slamming open the door to see a very shocked toad staring back at me, her bulgy eyes wide. My eyes lingered over Daphne and the grin she offered in silent support. What I wasn't expecting was the attention from other girls in the room, the appreciative glances didn't go unnoticed by me and judging by Daphne's jealous glare, they didn't go unnoticed by her either.

"Hem, hem. Potter." The toad waddled up to me, her pink skirt looking strained as she toddled about, her face an intense shade of violet. "This is simply not acceptable, I won't put up with your- _unruliness_ any longer! Clearly the message hasn't _sunken _in! Detention tonight! Be there otherwise a suspension will be on the cards, Mr. Potter!"

I shrugged, "Fair enough, Professor."

She shook slightly with silent ire, her eyes glazed and I could almost hear her murderous thoughts. "Potter," she stressed, "you are dismissed. Go to your Head of House immediately, I do not want you in my class until you learn the meaning of respect."

I met her challenge head on, staring down at her wide amphibious face, "I know the meaning of respect, _Professor_," I mocked her with a smile on my face, "but, respect must be earned and _you _simply don't measure up. I respect heroes like Cedric and treating his death as anything other than the murder it was, disrespects him and his family. Think on that, Professor." And I walked out of the door, adamant that I wasn't going to put up with the bitch any longer. Her screech of anger as I walked out the door was music to my ears, one thing fixed in my mind – Daphne's lethal stare fixed on Umbridge with the intensity of a hawk watching its prey and it reminded me so much of her aunt's predatory leer that I had trouble reconciling the Daphne that kissed and flirted with me and the one that looked prepared to kill for me.

**Sorry it's so short! Can't believe it's taken so very long but it wouldn't have been possible without my amazing beta! But other than that, the response to this story is amazing! 54,494 views! 177 reviews! 318 favourites! 554 follows! I can't believe it! Thank you! Can I get to 200 reviews with this chapter? – I hope so! By the way, nobody suggested any way for me to apologise to you all for the delays, so any suggestions?**


	10. Chapter 10: Goodbye to a Toad

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M **

**Beta: psxbleem – this chapter is thanks to him!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling. **

**AN: Back to Daphne, just so you all know. **

**WARNING: It got a bit graphic at the end of this chapter just so everyone knows and nobody can complain. Once the 'Carnificina' spell is mentioned for the second time, the torture starts. Guess who dies?! **

**Chapter 10**

The dungeons were cold but after a long day of schooling as winter closed in on us they brought a feeling of comfort with the fireplace's roaring warmth that made Hogwarts feel like a second home to us Slytherins. The weeks had passed quickly as we began our studies for the summer exams and Christmas felt like it was around the corner with the lights everywhere on the Hogwarts grounds, snow also covered the grounds heavily and numerous snowball fights had already broken out but it all just felt that bit more like Christmas.

I relished being safely entombed within the Common Room walls once more. They grey stone had always been a comfort, this year even more so with all that seemed to be going on outside the relative safety they afforded us of the Slytherin House within the secure stone walls of Hogwarts. The fireplace was roaring, with braziers lit with green fire along the walls shrouding everything with a layer of darkness that just added to the appeal of the dungeons in my opinion – it never failed to reinforce the feelings of security I got when I was in my home away from home at Hogwarts. I sat with Pansy, going over basic defence work and practising the spells when the common room door slid open with a stony scrape, we all looked over as one to see who had entered the sanctuary of the snakes. It didn't escape my notice that I wasn't the only one whose hand jumped for their wand, it was a dangerous time and we had all heard of the hate crimes against Slytherins in the last war when You-Know-Who was at large. Nobody wanted to be caught unawares; we were the Slytherins – the survivors of Hogwarts. Some viewed our self-preservation negatively but I just saw it as natural for a witch or wizard to watch their own back, depending on others got you killed if you didn't have a contingency plan.

The interloper turned out to be one of our own, a Prefect, his robes neat and his hair impeccably perfect, as was expected of him. His perfect hair always bothered me for reason I could never quite pin down, maybe it was the result of a childhood of finery and hiding behind good grooming. He approached our group by the fire – his eyes giving each of us a casual look over, searching for threats even when there appeared to be none. "Miss Greengrass?" I nodded in assent to his question, wordlessly gathering my belonging at the tenor in his voice. "You are needed in the Headmaster's office."

I frowned up at him, packing away my quill and ink slowly, "On what grounds?"

His face was grave, "A dispute in the Ancient and Most Noble House of Greengrass." I rose to my feet, pulling my satchel over my shoulder as I looked at him speculatively.

"Very well," I agreed, leading the way out of the dungeons and into the corridor where the heat from the common room disappeared entirely leaving me cold inside. I supressed a full body shudder, pulling my robes in close and soldiering on up the staircase into the main area of the school. The portraits nodded to me as I passed, sharing a look I didn't understand as I made my way up to the Headmasters office and the gargoyle that 'guarded' it. The prefect - Rigby - came to a stop beside me, muttering the password "Blabbering Biscuits," under his breath to the gargoyle. It jumped aside after a moment of deliberation, and I stepped onto the staircase as it appeared out of the stonework, carrying me up into the office of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and an all-round important person.

He smiled as he greeted me with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "Ah, Miss Greengrass! So glad you could make it here so promptly considering the short notice." His eyes jumped to Rigby who stood in the doorway like a sentry, awaiting acknowledgement, "And young Mr. Rigby, well done for your delivery of Miss Greengrass, you may go back to the common room now and enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Very well, sir," Rigby nodded, dipping into a bow before turning and fleeing the room like a sphinx was chasing him.

It was completely silent in his office in the wake of Rigby's departure and I found myself wishing for him to come back, to just break up the awkward and oppressive silence that hung in the air between us like a plague, slowly but surely suffocating me. Dumbledore seemed to feel none of the rising tension and happily made himself tea, munching at lemon drops as he did. He met my eyes, "Lemon drop?" I shook my head, wondering absently just why I was there, "No? Very well then." He clasped his hands together and leant forward to meet my stare, "I'm sure you're no doubt curious as to why I've removed you from the Slytherin Common rooms and I will get onto that but may I first warn you to not cross Dolores Umbridge because as bothersome as she may be to you, she has friends in very high places at the Ministry and therefore is in a greater position to do you harm should she feel you deserve it."

I nodded to show that I did understand the danger of my position, Umbridge was too well-connected for me not to realise the disadvantage and how the odds were weighed in her favour.

He absently ate another sweet, his hands spinning the dials of a gadget on his desk, the mechanical clicking and whirring helping to ease the discomfort that lingered in the air.

The silence reigned on for several minutes with only our breathing filling the air. Tension mounted and I finally couldn't help but ask, "Why am I here, sir?"

His eyes shone as he replied, "Why are you here? Quite simply, as I am sure Mr Rigby informed you, there has been a dispute in the Ancient and Most Noble house of Greengrass." He paused to allow his words to sink in, his distaste evident in the set of his mouth and the slight downturn in his tone. "Every member is required to help resolve and oversee the settlement of the dispute and as an heiress to the House, you are required to attend."

It was silent as I debated the situation. My aunt hadn't mentioned a dispute when I last saw her, nor did she tell me of one in her letters but then post could be intercepted and Harry had been with me the last time I'd seen her… I didn't know what to think. My hand patted the edge of my necklace absently, "What of my sister, Professor? Will she be joining me?"

His eyes hardened slightly, "No, she will be staying here as she is under sixteen and as such is not required to be present as an heiress to settle familial disputes."

I met his eyes and nodded my understanding, "When will I be leaving?"

His smile looked almost sinister in the light from the gold braziers on the wall, "You will be leaving via portkey to your ancestral home in four minutes and we will be expecting you back once an agreement has been reached and the continued prosperity of the Greengrass House has been assured." He stood from his chair and handed me a small metal hair comb, "Have a safe trip, Miss Greengrass." I felt a tug behind my navel before weightlessness hit and I found myself sprawled out on the thick woollen rug in the sitting room of my ancestral home, currently occupied by my paternal grandparents, Eleanor and Markus.

A snort sounded from the shadows cast by the dim fire, "Well that was elegant, Daphne." My eyes jumped to the darkness and I made out a figure standing watching me. Lean and tall – all sinewy muscle and not an ounce of fat – my uncle Gryffin Greengrass. He stepped from the shadows with a sense of class Snape did not possess; he sneered slightly down at me with his taunt as I regained my footing and stood to face him.

I nodded haughtily, "Uncle Gryffin."

He simpered in reply, "My dearest niece Daphne." He hugged formally before making eye contact once more and bursting into fits of laughter, my uncle was never that good at old customs but his presence proved that it was a grave affair indeed that we were there to discuss and settle.

"What dispute is there to settle?" I asked both looking forward to and dreading his reply.

He leant forward to meet my eyes seriously, laughter gone from his eyes leaving only mischief behind, "A toad has wronged one of our own. And thus, the threat must be… pacified."

Realisation was dawning and when the oak doors slid open to reveal my Aunt's smiling face I knew that this would be good. It would be no quick killing curse that ended the life of Dolores Umbridge. Her death would be drawn out and painful for the abomination that she was. In short, I couldn't wait to get started.

I grinned up at them, "What's the plan?"

My Uncle's face lit up with a kind of malice that rival gods of destruction as he explained, "The Greengrass family are here to provide you an alibi. If you're engaged in a heated battle over ancestral land and vault rights, how can you be behind the disappearance of one Dolores Umbridge? You can't. Selene's presence is explained away as she is an heiress to the House of Cole, which is an ally of ours in political terms and as such she has a right to be here to protect the family name. Ergo, spell proof alibi. And no one would suspect the sixteen year old schoolgirl as the murderess anyway, would they? I don't think so." We all shared a smile, the eerie quiet gone as we relaxed by the light of the fire.

I couldn't help but smile as I asked, "How are we going to do it?" This was what family were for, supporting you and being there for you; whether it was homework or a crime you needed help in.

"From my sources," my Aunt began, "I know that once a month she leaves the security and safety of Hogwarts walls to visit an Amerada Grace who lives about two miles out from Tinworth. That just so happens to be tonight. She apparates from the school gates to the village shop, getting there at around seven before walking to Miss Grace's house. Her walk takes her through the woods there, which is a prime time to stun her and disarm her before taking her to a pre-prepared location and by that I mean Gryffin's Hunting Cabin."

I was leant forward eagerly, committing the details of the scheme to my memory, "What then?"

Her grin made me shiver at the dark intent I could see behind it, "What then, Daphne? Then she pays in the slowest and most painful way possible and believe you me, I am very inventive. The _Carnificina_ Curse should loosen her tongue… Then I was thinking reverting to Muggle methods, because whilst primitive, they were successful."

My Uncle poured himself a drink, swirling the amber liquid as he stared into the shadows, "True, Muggle methods were actually employed by the Death Eaters during the First War, Avery and Parkinson in particular were adept at loosening tongues. Branding irons and hot pokers were some of their favourites. Rats were also fun to use," he met my eyes unyieldingly; "they'll do anything to escape and _survive_. If that means clawing their way through a person then so be it."

My creature purred within me, conjuring gruesome visuals to accompany my Uncle's words. Red painted my vision as she showed me other options graphically. Decapitation, shredding with claws, hanging…. There were so many options and I was only getting a small taste that she showed me.

I was snapped out of it when my Aunt pressed clothes into my hands, her eyes understanding when my head snapped up to look at her, "Go change, Daphne. There's a free room through there," she gestured to the door and smiled at me once more before my Uncle Gryffin pulled her into a conversation debating how to finish Umbridge off. I just shook my head. We weren't your average family that was for sure.

I slipped into the spare room, noting the elegant bronze finishes and the mahogany wood panelling as I set out the clothes from my Aunt. It was a snug black dragon skin jump suit with matching boots and thin, fingerless gloves with a holster with a miscellaneous wand that couldn't be traced back to me along the forearm. Two small slits marred the back between the shoulder blades and I could hazard a guess just what they were going to be used for. It looked like I was going to be spreading my wings and going for a fly tonight then. I pulled it on, testing my movement and found it to be durable and flexible, perfect for the mission we were about to undertake. I removed the jewellery, feeling my demon's presence shine through me stronger than ever as my appearance morphed to reveal the true me, changes and all. My hair was quickly tied back so that it was out of my way. Just as I was about to re-enter the sitting room I heard my Aunt speaking, "The change is happening swiftly for Harry, Severus has reported that he grows taller every day, muscle definition is being gained quickly and his temper is increasing. He snaps more and more whenever Severus tests him. It will not be long, if any time at all before Daphne explains what is really happening to Harry and then we have an Incubus running around Hogwarts."

It was silent before my Uncle responded, "Poor Snape, a baby uncontrolled Incubus running around making girls horny…. I wish I could be there to see it. Daphne's going to go nuts when he does it initially."

My Aunt snorted, sounding miles from her pureblood heritage, "It's all accidental at the beginning apparently, but he'll get used to it and when he does Daphne will be less inclined to remove heads."

I opened the door, ceasing all conversation as both of them looked at me like a children getting caught with their red-handed doing something they _know _they shouldn't be, their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.

"Don't let me interrupt you," I assured them, a hint of anger tainting my voice, "What were you saying about Harry?"

She rushed to reassure me, "I was simply discussing Severus' reports with Gryffin. I asked him to keep an eye on both yourself and Harry to be sure that nothing could go wrong. He's told me that Harry has grown considerably since your inheritance and that his temper is quicker which is proof that he is readying himself for the change into an Incubus. I recall mentioning that the change for males is similar to super-puberty and that the rush of hormones caused by invoking the Incubus causes fits of temper and Harry wasn't particularly mellow beforehand from what I understand." I nodded, slowing my breathing, my creature inching back from the forefront of my mind as I calmed to my Aunt's soothing tones.

"Okay…" I said, taking in a deep breath, "I have no quarrel with Severus monitoring us and reporting back to you but it would have been nice to know about it before."

"Understood," Selene nodded, my Uncle just sitting in his arm chair as he weathered our little argument.

He looked up when our talking stopped and gestured to the grandfather clock in the corner, "It's nearly time for you to leave." He stood and kissed my forehead, offering my Aunt a touch to the shoulder before he pulled back and his mischievous and happy-go-lucky nature disappeared and a cool and airtight façade slipped down in its place, "I wish you a fruitful trip. Do not yield to the weak."

We nodded, pulling on spell-repellent capes before flooing to the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade. The pub was quiet, the grizzly barkeep barely looking up at us from where he cleaned the glasses. We walked around into the side alley, my Aunt's arms wrapping around me securely before I felt the familiar yet uncomfortable sensations of Side-Along Apparition. We repeated several times, each time appearing in a densely populated magical area that aided in disguising our magical signatures making us nearly untraceable.

All was still when we apparated into the nearby shopping village, our Apparation going unheard amongst the bustle of pub-goers. I followed my Aunt as we ventured into the forest. My wings flexed behind me silently, relishing the momentary freedom they had. The last time I'd been flying was months before, Hogwarts' High Inquisitor ending any chance I had of a mid-night flight. My Aunt's stretched her own wings, the scales shimmering under the partial moonlight that filtered through the canopy above. I glanced into the creek and the sight nearly stopped me short, the full moon shone down on us making my Aunt and I look ethereal and otherworldly. Like Muggle angels only without the feathery wings or the innocent nature….

We took to the skies under heavy Disillusionment charms, savouring and loving the feel of the wind on our wings and the moon being our guiding light. Tinworth appeared on the horizon within minutes and as the village lights lay below us, we swooped down into the concealment of the forest, its leaves seeming to embrace us once we were in range. I pulled in my wings, quashing the disappointment I felt as they were once again hidden in my back. I received a nod of approval from Selene as we surveyed the clearing we had landed in - perfect for our ambush.

The waiting was the boring bit but I suppose that it must take Umbridge a while to waddle along the designated footpath to reach the home of Miss Amerada Grace. My keen ears picked up the sounds of her walking at the same time my Aunt did, both of us tilting our heads to listen to her plodding steps. I leant forward in my crouch, sniffing the air as I searched for her distinctive scent. I locked onto it like an animal, stalking through the foliage silently towards my prey. Once I was within range I brandished my wand, murmuring "Stupify." The jet of red light hit her squarely on the chest, her face showing surprise momentarily as she passed out cold. Some defence teacher she is…. "Petrificus Totalus," I whispered, binding her so that even if she woke up she couldn't do anything.

I saw my Aunt creep up beside me, staring down into the face of one Dolores Umbridge, "She really does look like a transfiguration accident, doesn't she? I thought you and Severus were exaggerating but apparently not." We shared a snicker in the dark, taking her bags and shredding them with a Cutting hex, obliterating their contents but making it look remarkably like an animal attack – it was, after all, a full moon.

We shared a nod, grabbing onto each of Umbridge's arms before placing a finger on the portkey she pulled from her cloak. She smirked at me before whispering to it in a foreign language and that was when I felt that oh-so-familiar tugging sensation behind my navel, my eyes closing automatically.

My feet landed on old, solid wood floor with a low thud, Umbridge and my aunt dropping down beside me. When my eyes slid open, it was Gryffin's hunting cabin that greeted my eyes. The exotic – and illegal – animal heads that graced the dark walls. Metal torches were lit periodically with a wrought iron candle chandelier hanging above our head and lighting the room. In the centre of the room was a metal table, thick leather straps at the edges. We levitated Umbridge roughly up and onto the table, binding her arms tightly and then taking her wand from the pink, flowery holster she wore. I watched as Selene moved about the room with ease, pulling gear from the walls calmly. I recognised only a few of the things she placed beside the main table: knives, scalpels, branding irons…. The rest was a mystery to me. As if hearing my thoughts, she looked up and smirked, her eyes lighting up as her far more aggressive Succubus demon came to the forefront of her mind, influencing her actions.

I was broke from my musings as she spoke, her voice a sultry purr, "What do you say, Daphne? Shall we wake her up and get started?"

I felt my creature push forward abruptly, making me gasp as she was suddenly _there_ with me. The voice that answered my Aunt was not my own, " Yes…. I can think of nothing that would please me more…."

I'm sure her eyes reflected the hate that I knew flared through mine, "Very well."

With a painful gasp, Umbridge awoke. Her eyes darted around before landing on me with a glare, "You- You- Filthy, half-breed! Unbind me! This instant!"

Selene leant forward into her personal space, their faces millimetres apart, "Toad," she began whispering lethally, "do not test me. You will not survive the experience and we wouldn't want that now would we?"

The Toad was too shocked to answer, her bulgy eyes enormously wide and her thin lips parted with the horror and realisation that was just beginning to bleed into her eyes. "You wouldn't," she whispered, her voice shaky and even the toad-lady knew she was wrong, I could see it in her eyes.

I leant forward to join my Aunt, "Yes, bitch. We _will_." She closed her eyes and leant back, seeming to almost give up but I had a feeling that once the pain started… Well, she wouldn't stay like that.

I wordlessly picked up her wand, testing its weight before silencing and locking the room carefully. I turned to Selene for guidance to find her watching me with a look of pride, her Succubus less visible in her eyes. She shook it off, the anger and hate returning with a vengeance, "Daphne, try the _Carnificina_ spell…. You know the words?"

I smirked wickedly, feeling a rush already speeding through my veins at the lone thought of all the fun that was to come. "Carnifica!" Her mouth fell open and her toady eyes swelled before her screams started, ripping through the air and ringing in my ears like the sweetest music. I watched blood vessels pop in her eyes and still carried on, pushing the spell further as the rush kicked in fully. A gentle hand on my arms slowed the spell until it dropped completely leaving Umbridge a panting and gasping mess on the table after less than two minutes under the spell's influence.

Selene shook her head with a fond smile, "Daphne, pace yourself," she admonished. "You shouldn't have too much of a good thing. Slow down and ease off otherwise she'll be dead before you can say Avada Kedavra." I nodded, relinquishing the wand to my Aunt and reaching instead for one of the ornate knives. The handle was covered in sapphires and diamonds that shone in the firelight. I slowly traced the cool metal along one hand, loving the way she tried to flinch away but the leather cuff stopped her in her tracks.

"Does it hurt?" I cooed to her, my voice as sickly as I could manage without making myself ill. Before she could reply I'd divested her of three fingers in quick succession. The high pitched scream made my head spin and my demon purred with delight at seeing the one we hated so zealously in agony by our hand.

I eased back, giving her seconds to recover for the initial ordeal. My Aunt piped in from my side, looking over my recent handiwork, "To minimise bleeding, just so she stays conscious and coherent for as long as possible, those fingers should really be cauterised."

I nodded, conceding to her expertise in this area. Umbridge's screams rang off the walls once more as Selene took the branding iron to what was left off her fingers, stopping the bleeding as soon as it started. We shared a snicker, my eyes surely gleaming with my true nature just as my Aunt's eyes were.

We carried on that way for hours, her voice fading to nothing more than a harsh croak after her most recent bout of Slytherin-induced torment. I pointed her wand at her, "Carnifica." Her reaction was feeble, blood seeped from wounds and her eyes glazed but above that she barely reacted… It was disappointing, if I was honest.

With just a look my Aunt knew what I was thinking and nodded her agreement. She raised her wand, muttering a long incantation I had no hopes of understanding or repeating. Umbridge cracked, her body drying and decomposing rapidly as I stared with morbid fascination. There was a moment of stillness as I stared at the empty shell that used to be the woman tormenter before she burst outwards, bugs and all things that crawled swarming from her body leaving a pile of flamboyant pink clothes and dust behind as the only sign that Umbridge had ever been in the room.

Silence reigned as I relished the relief and satisfaction that flowed through me in a rush all of a sudden, I wrapped a portkey into her clothes before I whispered the activation phrase. With that my dealing with Umbridge were finished, it was surreal to think that the transfiguration accident that was the toad named Dolores Umbridge was dead and gone leaving Harry safe from her conniving ways. The only thing I wanted to do now was find Harry. "Ready to go?"

**Another chapter up and this one could be considered special as it's the tenth…. I don't know but here is a much longer chapter than previous so, in a way, it's my apology to all of you loyal readers! Thanks for sticking through as **_**Snakes and Souls **_**now has 191 reviews, 358 favourites and 608 follows! That's immense when you think about it! So, thank you everybody who has helped make this fic a reality. Here is a special shout out to my beta! He's one amazing dude! **

**For this chapter, I'd love it if I could get to 200 reviews at least! Show me your appreciation! It makes me write faster if I know there are lots of people wanting another update!**


	11. Chapter 11: Into the Chamber

**Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby**

**Pairing: Harry/Daphne**

**Rating: M **

**Beta: psxbleem – this would be a lot worse if it wasn't for him.**

**Warning(s): Bonding, definitely M rated, skip if sex offends you – nothing graphic but I'm being cautious, for those that don't want to read, feel free to skip, it's not crucial to read this chapter, you only need to know that Harry and Daphne do the deed. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling. **

**Chapter 11**

As soon as I was back within the stone walls of Hogwarts the need captured me. A burning, all-consuming_ need_ to find Harry immediately – preferably sans clothing. The single-mindedness of this want did nothing to sway me from my goal, I had to find Harry. With a deep breath I sought out his scent, that single combination of cinnamon and leather that never failed to get my heart racing. I locked onto his scent – the smell that was so uniquely Harry – before giving chase, racing through the halls of Hogwarts without a care in the world, the two days I'd been away at the family manor making my demon claw within me in desperation to get to her mate. I heard people approaching and jumped into the high rafters of the hallway, watching as they strolled below me clueless of the predator that lurked above them concealed in the shadows.

With another deep breath I took off again, leaping from rafter to rafter as I chased my mate down, my Harry. I could feel a fire building within me and the thought of Harry only seemed to fan the flames hotter until they reached a fever pitch just as I caught sight of Harry walking alone through the corridor. I waited until he was directly below me before jumping to the floor in front of him, landing in a crouch with a growl working its way out of my heaving chest as I fought for dominance with the creature that possessed my every thought.

"Daphne, what are you-" His body froze instantly, his eyes lighting up as he took a sudden rasping breath followed by another deeper one. A growl forced its way from his throat startling him out of his stupor as he looked down at me in apparent confusion. I slowly tried to stand up, still fighting for dominance with my inner creature, losing myself slightly as I still trailed my hands along his body as I rose. He tried to talk again but I stopped him by resting a single finger on his lips taking delight in the way his eyes crossed to follow my movements.

"Harry…." I purred out to him, my words little more than a rasp as I beseeched him wordlessly with my eyes. He took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes to centre himself before locking eyes with me a moment later. The silent affirmation in his eyes jolted my beast out of her cage with a snarl.

We scooped him up into our arms and leapt into the rafters once more, carrying our mate with ease. We considered rooms as we flew through the rafters, searching for somewhere private and secure. A thought niggled at the back of my mind, a _chamber_ that Harry had mentioned once, located in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

The expression of surprise on Harry's face when I dropped him in front of the sinks was comical, his killing curse coloured eyes shining with confusion before I nodded to the sinks, too far gone for words. Understanding dawned on him as he hissed something incomprehensible and with a groan a cavern in the floor opened up, black and deep and endless. He started to question me but I never let the words leave his lips, smothering them with a heated kiss and pushing us both down into the chambers below the school dimly hearing the sinks grind back into place above us, sealing us in. We slid down into the darkness, landing with a thud before he led me on, some part of him sub-consciously understanding without prompting just what I wanted him to do and my intentions for this evening.

As soon as the door the size of a Gringott's bank vault slid shut I pounced, uncaring of anything around us My movements were feline and predatory as I stalked Harry, pushing us further into the Chamber of Secrets, the only place in the entire school I felt safe enough to lose my inhibitions completely. His eyes were wide with a hint of fear but I relished the knowledge that the fear was being gradually overtaken by lust, particularly when I lost the bulky Hogwarts robe to reveal the corset, thong and garter belt combination I wore beneath. His eyes roved my form like a starving man before he too lost his robe in a fit of torn fabric. I was on top of him when he opened his eyes again, happily nipping at his neck, making sure to my mark on him so there was no doubt who he belonged to, Harry was mine, nothing would change that. The groan he admitted when I moved just _so_ was one I knew I'd relish when I reminisced later but right then it only served to wind me up further making me hot under the proverbial collar. His face was flushed but the feverous kisses he pressed to my neck and collarbone let me know he was more than ready for me to up the ante and take things further. My nails ripped through his shirt, the buttons skidding across the floor and I followed this up by tearing my way blindly through every single scrap of fabric that obscured his body from my hungry and wanting eyes. I allowed him a moment of control as he fumbled though the fastenings on my corset. I laid myself down on top of him, taking his hands in my own and immediately guiding them to the shiny metal tab, small and round like a tear.

Then I murmured into his ear, so close he could feel my lips brush the lobe and my warm breath as I panted in excitement.

"Pinch it," I said as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me like I was starved of his touch, "Pull it," I commanded, which he did, his hands gentle and tentative, parting the teeth, one at a time, down under and beneath the longest unzipping of my life. Finally, the corset fell off, and on to his face, quickly he moved to throw it away, but by that time I was too far gone to care and shredded what meagre scraps of cloth still dared to cover my body. I sighed as I was finally able to relish in the skin on skin contact only allowed to those that trusted each other completely in their intimacy.

Moans and groans filled the air as we took those last few intimate steps into our relationship. WE explored each other, tasting and touching every crevice and niche of the other. I relished his prominent pectorals, running my hands over him wantonly. He responded in kind with burning touches and lingering kisses over my curves. We lost ourselves in each other, stunned at the world of sensations opened up before us as we took our first foray into the world of carnal desires and forbidden fruit.

Pleasure, want and desire were the only emotions I let either of us feel as I took charge – the priceless stone floors of Salazar's Chamber crumbling into dust beneath my hands as we finished. He took over, lust raging through his body and I relinquished control and just let him do as he pleased – too lost in the sensations he caused to care. We continued on, affirming our connection in the most intimate of ways, loving the feel of tongues, flesh and teeth.

I lost it suddenly, taking control and rolling him onto his back with a crooning purr, I proceeded to claim him as mine once more, showing him just how lucky he was to have a Succubus for a girlfriend. My teeth sunk into his throat whilst he was lost in a haze of desire; embedding themselves in his pulse point as his warm blood filled my mouth. I pulled away from him, nursing the bite with my tongue with long, languid licks. He watched the entire time, never once protesting.

Finally his eyes slid shut of their own accord, mumbling out a breathless "Daphne, I love you," before the fever overtook him and began transforming his already enviable physique into a form worthy of Adonis as the process of becoming an Incubus tore through him, spurred on by my bite on his neck. I sat at his side and waited, watching over him carefully. I'd never let anything happen to my Harry.

**Done, sorry for the delay but I was procrastinating this chapter… I got through it though so voila! Currently this story has 73,958 views, 385 favourites, 674 follows, 216 reviews and has been added to 6 communities! Brilliant! A goal for the next chapter reviews? I'd like to get to more than 230 if possible! Reaching 240 would be even better! Anything more – a miracle!**


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